Abstract
45 patients with hypoproliferative or aregenerative anaemia were treated with oxymetholone, steroid an anabolic, androgenic steroid. Minimum treatment time accepted for entrance into the study was 3 months. Therapeutic effect was assessed by effect on bone marrow cellularity, haemoglobin concentration and granulocyte and platelet counts. Patients with a hypocellular marrow responded best. Of 18 cases, a partial remission was seen in 8 and a complete remission in 5. A complete remission was only seen in patients who did not have pancytopenia. Of the 7 patients with myelofibrosis, 4 had thrombocytopenia at the outset. Improvement after treatment was seen in all 4. The only serious side-effect that necessitated withdrawal of treatment was jaundice.