PARVOVIRUS B19-INDUCED ANEMIA

Parvovirus B19, the agent of erythema infectiosum, selectively infects erythroid precursors, inducing aplastic anemia not only in patients with inherited red blood cell disorders but also in individuals with normal red blood cells. Two cases of parvovirus-induced anemia diagnosed in unusual circumstances are reported herein. One was a 37-year-old female in whom the parvovirus infection led to discovery of congenital spherocytosis. The second patient, a 30-year-old female, developed anemia while she was recovering from an episode of leukoneutropenia possibly due to a drug. These two cases demonstrate that parvovirus infection should be routinely looked for inpatients with anemia of unclear etiology.