Phenobarbital-associated bone marrow aplasia: a case report and review of the literature.

We report on a 22-year-old female who developed aplastic anemia after administration of phenobarbital for 6 years. Being refractory to steroid and anti-lymphocyte serum, the patient received allogeneic stem cell transplantation, achieving complete remission. We discuss here the potential mechanisms by which phenobarbital and other anti-epileptic drugs can cause aplastic anemia and review the literature for previous case reports and epidemiological studies.