What is Fanconi anemia ?
Fanconi anemia (FA), named for Swiss pediatrician , Guido Fanconi, is one of the inherited anemias that lead to bone marrow failure. Though considered primarily a blood disease, it may affect all systems of the body. Many patients do not reach adulthood.
FA patients are usually smaller than average. FA usually revels itself when children are between the ages of 3 and 12, but in rare cases no symptoms are present until adulthood. Nosebleeds or easy bruising may be a first sign. Blood tests may reveal a low white or red cell or platelet count or other abnormalities. FA sometimes is evident at birth through a variety of physical defects.
While the total number of FA patients is not documented worldwide, scientists estimate that the carrier frequency for FA is somewhere between 1 in 600 and 1 in 100.
Clinical synopsis:
¨ Thumb and arm anomalies: misshapen or missing thumbs or an incompletely developed or missing radius (one of the forearm bones).
¨......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 463
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |