Severe Aplastic Anemia Presenting as Neutropenic Sepsis

A 40-year-old female with aplastic anemia presented with a gum abscess deteriorating into neutropenic sepsis. Infection is an incredibly rare initial manifestation of aplastic anemia even on a background of significant neutropenia, hence the uniqueness of this case. The patient’s initial complaints were of a subacute history of heavy vaginal bleeding and unexplained bruising, however on examination in the emergency department the patient was also noted to be pyrexial with gingival hyperplasia and a left sided submandibular lymphadenopathy. Initial blood results were phoned through from the lab reporting pancytopenia, confirming clinical suspicion of neutropenic sepsis. Antibiotic therapy was commenced and maxillofacial review for her unrelenting jaw pain revealed a gum abscess ultimately requiring tooth extraction. The patient underwent bone marrow biopsy showing hypocellular marrow with erythroid-dominant, dysplastic hematopoiesis. A thorough panel of investigations to rule out secondary causes led to the diagnosis of aplastic anemia, for which the patient is currently being managed with oral ciclosporin plus eltrombopag-bridging therapy, plus counselling for the potential requirement for stem cell transplant.