Varicella zoster-associated severe aplastic anemia in a child and its successful treatment with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation from HLA-5/6-identical donor.

Background: Varicella zoster virus is very rarely associated with aplastic anemia. Bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling is the treatment of choice.

Methods: A seven-year-old boy presented with aplastic anemia (AA) following chicken pox infection. No clinical improvement was observed with pharmaceutical therapy and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) was performed from his HLA 5/6 identical mother. Since the transplantation, the patient has had a durable, trilineage hematological response for 12 months.

Conclusions: The present case with varicella zoster-associated aplastic anemia was non-responsive to conventional therapies (ATG protocol, ALG protocol, oxymethalone, and cyclosporine A) and successfully treated with bone marrow transplantation from his 5/6 identical mother.