Elderly Male With Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Induced Pure Red Cell Aplasia

Cureus. 2024 Jun 8;16(6):e61970. doi: 10.7759/cureus.61970. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare hematologic disorder presenting with symptomatic normocytic anemia with preservation of other bone marrow cell lineages that may be acquired in adulthood due to malignancy, autoimmune disease, and infections. PRCA has been attributed to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in patients with underlying malignancy; however, we present a rare case of EBV-related PRCA in a previously healthy elderly male without an underlying malignancy who developed transfusion-dependent anemia that responded to glucocorticoids, rituximab, and intravenous immunoglobulins.

Keywords: anemia; ebv-induced prca; epstein barr virus (ebv); non-malignant hematology; pure red cell aplasia (prca).

Publication types

  • Case Reports