Overview
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, acquired, progressive and life-threatening blood disease. Red blood cells in a person with PNH are attacked by the immune system because they lack a special protein. The destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis, and the contents of the destroyed red blood cells get into the blood stream. Additional complications include thrombosis and bone marrow failure.
PNH affects one to two people per million and is diagnosed most often between 35 to 40 years of age. Occasionally children and adolescents may be diagnosed. About 30 percent of those diagnosed have had aplastic anemia as well.
Outstanding Care Team
The medical team at Seattle Children's, a parent organization of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, has a long history of successfully caring for children and teens diagnosed with PNH. These renowned specialists work together to improve your child's quality of life and conquer this disease.
Medical therapy for PNH is provided at Seattle Children's. If your child's health-care team determines that the best course of action is a bone marrow transplant, your child will receive this treatment through Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, ranked first in outcomes in a four-year study by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) that measured one-year survival rates of patients among 122 transplant centers in the United States.
PNH Facts
Learn about the risk factors and symptoms of PNH, how it is diagnosed and how its stages are determined.Our Doctors
Our doctors are members of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and faculty from UW Medicine and Seattle Children's. They are the best of the best who work as a team to care for people with PNHTreatment Options
Regardless of the stage of your illness, the unsurpassed expertise of our physicians makes SCCA the ideal treatment center for PNH.Patient Support
Because treatment for PNH isn't easy, special support for patients is essential. SCCA has several programs, classes, and services to assist patients and their families.Web Resources
The more you know about your disease, the more empowered you'll feel. This list of reputable sources about PNH makes gathering information easy.
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