Anemia Flashcards
What is anemia?
A condition characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells (RBC) or hemoglobin in the blood.
What are the types of hemorrhage that can lead to anemia?
Acute or chronic hemorrhage, either internal (e.g., hemoperitoneum) or external (e.g., melena).
What can chronic external blood loss result in?
Concurrent iron deficiency anemia, which may be regenerative or non-regenerative.
What are helpful smear features in iron deficiency anemia?
- Hypochromasia
- RBC fragmentation
What is hemolysis?
The destruction of red blood cells, which can be extravascular or intravascular.
What are the two types of immune-mediated hemolysis?
- Primary (non-associative)
- Associative (secondary to infections, blood group incompatibility, or drugs)
Which species is hemolysis uncommon in?
Cats.
What are helpful smear features in immune-mediated hemolysis?
- Spherocytes
- Agglutination
- Ghost cells
Name some infectious organisms that can cause hemolytic anemia.
- Babesia sp.
- Theileria sp.
- Mycoplasma haemocanis
- Mycoplasma haemofelis
- Leptospira sp.
Which organism is a common cause of hemolytic anemia in cats?
Mycoplasma haemofelis.
What are helpful smear features for identifying infectious organisms in hemolytic anemia?
Identifiable organisms.
What can cause oxidant-induced hemolysis?
- Zinc poisoning
- Onion ingestion
- Exposure to skunk musk in dogs
- Acetaminophen toxicosis
What are helpful smear features in oxidant-induced hemolysis?
- Heinz bodies
- Eccentrocytes
- Pyknocytes
- Ghost cells with attached Heinz bodies
What is fragmentation injury in the context of hemolytic anemia?
A type of hemolysis caused by conditions like vasculitis or DIC.
What are helpful smear features in fragmentation injury?
- Acanthocytes
- Keratocytes
- Schistocytes
What can cause concurrent non-regenerative anemia?
Anemia of inflammatory disease or neoplasia.
What are examples of aberrant macrophage activity in anemia?
Reactive or neoplastic histiocytic disorders like hemophagocytic histiocytic sarcoma.
What are inherited defects that can lead to anemia?
- Defects in RBC membranes (e.g., stomatocytosis, spherocytosis)
- Metabolic pathway enzyme deficiencies (e.g., phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase deficiency)
What are helpful smear features for pyruvate kinase deficiency in dogs?
- Stomatocytes
- Spheroechinocytes
Fill in the blank: Anemia can be caused by _______ due to zinc poisoning.
[oxidant-induced hemolysis]
True or False: Mycoplasma haemofelis is associated with hemolytic anemia in dogs.
False
What are echinocytes and ghost cells associated with?
Certain snake venoms
Helpful smear features in diagnosing envenomation
What can suppress erythropoiesis in the context of inflammatory diseases?
Inflammatory cytokines
These cytokines suppress erythropoietin release and response
What is the effect of hepcidin on iron absorption?
Inhibits iron absorption and causes iron sequestration
Hepcidin is stimulated by inflammatory cytokines
