Hemolytic anemia is a condition where red blood cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can replace them, leading to anemia. In hemolytic anemia, red blood cells have a significantly shortened lifespan of around 15 days compared to the normal 120 days. Clinical features include pallor, jaundice, an enlarged spleen, gallstones, and skeletal abnormalities. Examination of the peripheral blood smear and bone marrow can provide clues to the underlying cause by revealing abnormalities in red blood cell shape.

1. Hemolytic
anemia
Dr . T.Arivazhagan
Department of
pathology

2. Introduction
• Hemolytic anemias are the anemias in which there is increased red
cell destruction.
• Anemia develops due to inability of the bone marrow to
compensate for the degree of destruction.
• Normal life span 120 days
• In hemolytic anemia become as low as 15 days
• If compensatory marrow regeneration is adequate patient will not
manifest the anemia.

4. Red cell destruction
1. Extra vascular
• Spleen – 80 -90%
2. Intravascular
• Destruction of RBC’s in the blood vessels itself

12. Clinical features
1. Pallor
2. Jaundice
3. Splenomegaly
4. Gall stone
5. Skeletal abnormalities
6. Ulcers

13. Peripheral smear
1. Polychromatophilic
2. Nucleated RBCS
3. Spherocytes
4. Sickle cells
5. Target cells
6. schistocytes

15. Bone marrow
1. Erythroid hyperplasia
2. Reticulocytosis