A group of inherited chronic diseases marked by disintegration of red blood cells, jaundice, splenomegaly, and gallstones. Hereditary spherocytosis is the most common of these hemolytic diseases. Other congenital hemolytic anemias include congenital elliptocytosis, hereditary stomatocytosis, and hemolytic anemias due to enzymatic defects of the red cell, of which G-6-PD and pyruvate kinase deficiency are the most important.