[Aplastic anemia. Alternative treatment by bone marrow transplantation]

We report a case of a 25-year-old woman, with the diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia without a histocompatible sibling donor for bone marrow transplantation. The patient has been treated successfully with a combination of two immunosuppressive agents, cyclosporine and antilymphocyte globulin, after not responding to primary therapy with corticosteroids and growth factors. She showed a complete response to treatment, with transfusional independence, after a follow-up of 14 months. The pathophysiology of aplastic anemia, the mechanism of action and secondary effects of these treatments are discussed.