Hemolytic Anemia - Basic Features

Basic Features

Hemolytic anemia involves the following:

  1. Abnormal and accelerated destruction of red cells and, in some anemias, their precursors
  2. Increased breakdown of hemoglobin, which may result in:
    1. increased bilirubin level (mainly indirect-reacting) with jaundice
    2. increased fecal and urinary urobilinogen
    3. Hemoglobinanemia, methemalbuminemia, hemoglobinuria and hemosiderinuria (where there is significant intravascular hemolysis).
  3. Bone marrow compensatory reaction:
    1. Erythroid hyperplasia with accelerated production of red cells, reflected by reticulocytosis, and slight macrocytosis in peripheral blood
    2. Expansion of bone marrow in infants and children with severe chronic hemolysis - changes in bone configuration visible on X-ray
  4. The balance between red cell destruction and marrow compensation determines the severity of anemias.

Read more about this topic:  Hemolytic Anemia

Famous quotes containing the words basic and/or features:

    “The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.”
    —Philip K. Dick (1928–1982)

    “All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask!”
    —Herman Melville (1819–1891)