Pure red cell aplasia in association with malignant histiocytosis

The authors report a case of malignant histiocytosis complicated with pure red cell aplasia. Erythrophagocytic histiocytes were found only rarely and no histiocyte ingested erythroblasts. Neither serum immunoglobulin G nor peripheral blood T-cells have any inhibitory activity to erythroid colony growth from allogeneic bone marrow. Pure red cell aplasia is an unusual complication in malignant histiocytosis.