Anemia
Anemia is low hemoglobin.
There is a long list of causes for anemia. Usually, anemia is grouped by RBC cell size, mean corpuscular volume (MCV).
Classifications
| Anemia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Macrocytic anemia (MCV>100 fl) | Normocytic anemia (MCV 80–100 fl) | Microcytic anemia (MCV<80 fl) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Microcytic anemia
Mnemonic TAILS:[1]
- Thalassemia.
- Anemia of chronic diesease.
- Iron deficiency anemia.
- Lead toxicity.
- Sideroblastic anemia.
Macrocytic anemia
Mnemonic Few Big RBCs May Lead To Palor:
- Folate deficiency.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Rx.
- Myelodysplastic syndromes.
- Liver disease (cirrhosis).
- Thyroid disease (hypothyroidism).
- Post-splenectomy.
Specific types of anemia
Pernicious anemia
General
- Macrocytic anemia.
Etiology:
- Autoimmune - leads to loss of parietal cells.
- Parietal cells produce intrinsic factor (important for vitamin B12 absorption) and hydrogen chloride.
Diagnosis - serology for antibodies to:[2]
- Parietal cells.
- Iintrinsic factor.
Microscopic
Features:
- Loss of parietal cells.
See also
References
- ↑ URL: http://www.step2review.com/content/sub_cat.php?cat_id=487__Microcytic_Anemia. Accessed on: 12 May 2011.
- ↑ Oh, R.; Brown, DL. (Mar 2003). "Vitamin B12 deficiency.". Am Fam Physician 67 (5): 979-86. PMID 12643357.