[Anemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia: hematological findings and HIV]

Hematologic pathologies like anemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are frequently seen in HIV-infected patients. Etiologies of cytopenias are diverse, affect all three cell lines and cause considerable and sometimes even live threatening clinical problems. Opportunistic infections may cause bone marrow suppression or specific cytopenias but also adverse events of antiretroviral drugs and drugs against opportunistic infections frequently cause marrow suppression. Morphological changes in the bone marrow of HIV-infected patients are generally unspecific. Frequently, dysplasia, dyserythropoesis, lymphocyte infiltration or plasmocytosis are seen. In the following article, relevant practical points of pathogenesis and therapy options should be discussed with three case studies.