ACD/AI: anemia of chronic disease/anemia of inflammation; CBC: complete blood count; MCV: mean corpuscular volume; MDS: myelodysplastic syndrome; RBC: red blood cell; TSAT: transferrin saturation.
* Iron studies include serum iron, transferrin, ferritin, and transferrin saturation (TSAT).
¶ Ferritin <30 ng/mL or TSAT <19% are generally used as evidence of iron deficiency. Ferritin is an acute phase reactant and may be higher in individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions.
Δ Other causes of anemia include monoclonal gammopathies, androgen deficiency (male), MDS, clonal cytopenias, copper deficiency, and others. Multiple causes may be present. The risks of clonal disorders and hematologic malignancies generally increases with age or exposure to bone marrow toxins including certain chemotherapy drugs. Aplastic anemia and Diamond-Blackfan anemia are less age dependent.
◊ The reticulocyte count is helpful in narrowing the diagnosis of unexplained anemia. A high reticulocyte count typically indicates hemolysis; recovery from bleeding; removal of a bone marrow insult (drug or infection); or repletion of iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12. Genetic causes of hemolytic anemia may be associated with a positive family history and often have characteristic RBC morphologies on the blood smear that can be useful in guiding the evaluation.Do you want to add Medilib to your home screen?