Doctors classify acquired aplastic anemia into three types, based largely on the patient's neutrophil count. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that fight bacterial infections.
Moderate Aplastic Anemia (MAA)
If you have moderate aplastic anemia:
- You may have low blood cells counts, but not as low as with severe aplastic anemia.
- You may have few or no symptoms.
- Your doctor may not recommend treatment. Instead, your doctor may just keep an eye on your blood counts.
- Your condition may stay the same for many years.
Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)
If you have severe aplastic anemia, at least two of the following are true:
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Your neutrophil count is less than 500 cells per microliter.
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Your reticulocyte (young red blood cell) count is less than 20,000 per microliter.
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Your platelet count is less than 20,000 per microliter.
Very Severe Aplastic Anemia (VSAA)
If you have very severe aplastic anemia:
- Your neutrophil count is less than 200 per microliter.
- Your blood counts are otherwise like those of someone with severe aplastic anemia.