Non-Chemotherapy Medullary Aplasia in the Pediatric Oncology Unit of the Gabriel Touré Teaching Hospital, Bamako

Objectives: The main objective was to study the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of medullary aplasia (MA). Methods: This was a prospective and descriptive retro study conducted from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2018 in the pediatric oncology unit of the pediatrics department of the Gabriel Touré teaching Hospital in Bamako. Results: We collected 29 children’s cases out of 1632 admissions during the study period, representing a frequency of 1.8% and an incidence of 2.6 cases per year. The sex ratio was 2.6. The 11 - 15 age group accounted for 45%, with an average age of 8.93 years. The majority of fathers (55.2%) and mothers (62.1%) had received no education; they were mainly farmers (62.1%) and housewives (86.2%). The average consultation time was 92.21 days. Anemia was the reason for consultation in 69% of cases. Pallor was present on admission in 96.5%; infectious syndrome accounted for 79.3%, anemic syndrome for 51.7% and hemorrhagic syndrome for 27.6%; the three syndromes were associated in 27.6%. Malaria was associated with bone marrow aplasia in 58.6%. Anemia was present in 93.1%, neutropenia in 65.5% and thrombocytopenia in 86.2%. All had received a labile blood product (LBP) transfusion, and 24 (83%) had received antibiotics. Patients were treated with corticosteroids (58.6%), androgens (20.7%) and immunosuppressants (20.7%). The death rate was 34.6%. At last count, 15 (83%) had discontinued treatment, 2 (11%) were undergoing treatment and 1 (6%) was in remission. Conclusion: Effective treatment of MA requires improved technical facilities and better economic conditions for parents.