In our study
megaloblastic anemia was found in 16.6% of patients.
Diphyllobothrium latum induced
megaloblastic anemia. Rev Med Chil.
In another group (23%), with hypercellular or normocellular marrow and only megaloblastic or mild megalodyserythropoietic change without any other lineage dysplasia, it was not possible to separate MDS from
megaloblastic anemia (MA) with certainty and cytogenetic finding except in two of them was normal.
Study of serum vitamin B-12 and folate levels in patients of
megaloblastic anemia in Northern Pakistan.
Oral versus intramuscular cobalamin treatment in
megaloblastic anemia: a single-center, prospective, randomized, open-label study.
Objective: The study was carried out to find the cause of
megaloblastic anemia.
Megaloblastic anemia in adults and acute leukemia with aplastic/hypoplastic anemia in children were the most common causes (Table 1), as previously reported (3), (4).
* Vitamin B12 deficiencies lead to delayed DNA synthesis resulting in
megaloblastic anemia, peripheral neuropathy, and other neurologic signs (4,5).
LDH examined in conjunction with the known normal bilirubin level would further rule out anemia due to accelerated red cell death either in the peripheral blood as in hemolysis or within the marrow where maturation defects result in ineffective erythropoiesis, as in
megaloblastic anemia and thalassaemia.
Chen et al have reported the occurrence of
megaloblastic anemia in a young woman with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, who has presented with iron deficiency anemia that has been diagnosed initially (15).
In reviewing the patient's chart, you quickly noticed the anemic blood values for hemoglobin and hematocrit, but you also noticed the red blood cell indices (MCV and MCH) suggested not the typical iron deficiency anemia (microcytosis), but a
megaloblastic anemia. The hypersegmented neutrophils indicated that the neutrophils on the peripheral blood film showed six to eight segments per neutrophil rather than the typical 3-5 as most mature neutrophils would have.
If folate deficiency appears, as in
megaloblastic anemia, the etiology may be due to alcohol abuse; alcohol impairs absorption of folic acid (Guralnik et al., 2005).