Hepatitis associated aplastic anemia: case report and discussion.

Aplastic anemia (AA) is thought to represent an autoimmune disorder leading to generation of activated CD8+ T-cells that target the bone marrow precursors. Hepatitis associated aplastic anemia (HAAA) is a subtype of aplastic anemia that develops within several months ofan episode of acute hepatitis. Etiologic agents include hepatitis viruses (A-E and G), Epstein-Bar virus, cytomegalovirus, HIV, parvovirus B19, and echoviruses amongst others. However, most HAAA cases are labeled "idiopathic" as the inciting agent cannot be identified. Drugs and/or toxins are rarely causal factors. We describe herein a unique case of HAAA linked with the anabolic steroid methasterone that caused a transient cholestatic hepatitis and, subsequently, a severe aplastic anemia in a young man.