Transient aplastic crisis in hereditary spherocytosis.

In this study the case of a child affected with hereditary spherocytosis, who presented with a presumably viral infection induced transient aplastic crisis, is described. The bone marrow aspirate showed phagocytosis of erythrocytes and nucleated cells by reticular cells. The possible pathogenetic role of bone marrow phagocytosis in aplastic crises in patients with haemolytic anaemias is discussed.