Microcytic anaemias

Question 1

why microcytic? what does this mean?

Answer 1

if there is a lack of glob, haem, iron, haemoglobin cannot be synthesised properly/ not enough made , therefore smaller cells are produced with less haemoglobin content

they are also usually hypochromic due to lack of Hb in cytoplasm so lack colour

Question 2

what are the 2 main headings which can cause microcytic anaemia?

Answer 2

Hb deficicency

Globin deficiency

Question 3

what can cause the lack of Hb?

Answer 3

iron deficiency

issue with porphyrin ring

congenital abnormalities

Question 4

what are the main conditions which cause problems with globin chain synthesis?

Answer 4

thalassaemias

structural variants of Hb

Question 5

what happens in a thalassaemia?

Answer 5

reduced rate of globin chain production

Question 6

what happens with a structural variant of Hb?

Answer 6

there is normal production of an abnormal globin chain

Question 7

what are the 2 types of thalassaemia?

Answer 7

alpha and beta

Question 8

what happens on Hb barts hydrops fetalis?

Answer 8

no alpha genes are inherited so HbA cant be produced