Blood, 1957, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 171-182.
© 1957 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Erythroblastopenia with Giant Pro-Erythroblasts
in Kwashiorkor
KHO LIEN-KENG 1
1 Hematologic Department of the Pediatric Clinic, University of Indonesia,
Djakarta.
Description of seven cases of kwashiorkor in children of one and a half to eight
years of age, in which at one time or other an aplastic crisis (erythroblastopenia)
occurred with the appearance of giant proerythroblasts or their precursors in the
bone marrow. This condition independent of the treatment—reversed to normal
in four cases and was followed by a reticulocytic crisis. Three of the children
died during or shortly after the aplastic crisis. The author considers erythroblastopenia in these cases as due to insufficiency of the bone-marrow (lability)
caused by chronic protein deficiency superimposed by frequent infections. The
giant pro-erythroblasts are pathologic forms of erythropoiesis and are not
identical with Ehrlich’s megaloblasts.
Submitted on April 20, 1956
Accepted on August 18, 1956
