Microcytic anemia

NEET PG Medicine
#1

MICROCYTIC ANEMIA… secret unlocked: (Source Pathoma)

Anemia in which MCV < 80 (ie size of RBCs is decreased)

Main pathophysiology:

decreased hemoglobin in blood : since the RBC wants to maintain its pink colour (ie concn of the hemoglobin), it decreases its size

remember hemoglobin= heme + globin

so decreased hemoglobin = decreased heme + decreased globin

we know, heme= iron + protoporphyrin

so we can say decreased hemoglobin= decreased (iron+protoporphyrin) + decreased globin

Now lets derive the diseases:

A. decreased iron:

  1. low iron in blood: iron deficieny anemia

  2. iron is there but it cant bind:

anemia of chronic disease (iron is captured by macrophage)

B. decreased protoporphyrin

  • sideroblastic anemia

C. decreased globin chain

  • thalassemia

Thanks to the legend Dr. Hussain A. Sattar