Fanconi anaemia

This disease, named after the Swiss paediatrician Guido Fanconi who initially described it, is an anaemia with a strong genetic component, that leads to bone marrow dysfunction. It involves a reduction in the number of blood cells in the peripheral circulation caused by reduced haematopoiesis, and occurs in genetically predisposed people, often before the age of 12. It can also occur after irradiation, exposure to a predisposing chemical or infection. In many cases it leads to the development of acute myeloid leukaemia or other cancers.