Aplastic anemia is which of the following?

Aplastic anemia is which of the following?

• A. Congenital
• B. Acquired
• C. Congenital or acquired
• D. Aplastic anemia is neither congenital nor acquired

Answer: (C)

Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure condition that leads to pancytopenia and a hypocellular marrow. It can arise from inherited, congenital defects (such as Fanconi anemia) or from acquired factors (including drugs, chemicals like benzene, radiation, viral infections, or immune-mediated damage). Because it can be either congenital or acquired, the best answer is the one that includes both possibilities. The other options imply exclusivity to one form or to neither, which doesn’t fit the reality that aplastic anemia can be caused by either inherited or acquired processes.

Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure condition that leads to pancytopenia and a hypocellular marrow. It can arise from inherited, congenital defects (such as Fanconi anemia) or from acquired factors (including drugs, chemicals like benzene, radiation, viral infections, or immune-mediated damage). Because it can be either congenital or acquired, the best answer is the one that includes both possibilities. The other options imply exclusivity to one form or to neither, which doesn’t fit the reality that aplastic anemia can be caused by either inherited or acquired processes.