Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Milk anemia

    In a young child, iron-deficiency anemia caused by consistent consumption of milk in amounts greater than 1 qt daily. This excessive milk intake displaces iron-rich foods in the diet.  

  • Hypoplastic anemia

    Term that has been used to describe aplastic anemia. If anemia due to failure of formation of red blood cells is meant, pure red blood cell aplasia is the term of choice. The inadequate or impaired growth of a tissue or organ. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome represents the gravest form of congenital heart disorder. A…

  • Hypochromic anemia

    Anemia in which hemoglobin is deficient and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration is less than normal.  

  • Hyperchromic anemia

    Anemia in which mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is greater than normal. The red blood cells are darker staining than normal.  

  • Folic acid deficiency anemia

    Anemia resulting from a deficiency of folic acid. It is a cause of red blood cell enlargement (megaloblastic anemia) and is common in patients who are experiencing nutritional deficiencies (e.g., alcoholics, patients with malabsorption) and during hemolysis or pregnancy. Folate deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of thrombocytopenia, hemorrhage, infection, and fetal neural tube defects.…

  • Erythroblastic anemia

    Anemia resulting from inheritance of a recessive trait responsible for interference with hemoglobin synthesis.  

  • Deficiency anemia

    Condition resulting from lack of an essential ingredient, such as iron or vitamins, in the diet or the inability of the intestine to absorb them.  

  • Congenital hypoplastic anemia

    A rare but severe normochromic macrocytic anemia of neonates and infants in which vitamin B12 and folate levels are normal or elevated and reticulocytosis is inadequately low.  

  • Congenital hemolytic anemia

    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…

  • Autoimmune hemolytic anemia

    Anemia caused by antibodies produced by the patient’s own immune system that destroy red blood cells. They are classified by the thermal properties of the antibody involved; the “warm” form is most common and may be associated with viral infections. Drug-induced hemolytic anemias are clinically indistinguishable from AIHA; for that reason, they are classified with…