Laboratory Diagnosis of Anemia
By
Dr.Varughese George
Department of Pathology
Learning Objectives
At the end of this briefing, you should know
• Clinical presentation of anemia.
• Definition of anemia.
• Approach to diagnosis of anemia
• Classification of anaemia
• Distinct features of each type of anemia.
Clinical presentation of anemias
• Fatigue and weakness
• Headache
• Tinnitus
• Numbness and coldness
• Pallor
• Dyspnea and palpitations
• Angina pectoris
• Intermittent claudication
• Hemorrhages in the
fundus of eyes
• Menorrhagia
• Anorexia
• Flatulence
• Nausea
• Constipation
Clinical presentation of anaemias
Initial Laboratory Work-Up
• Hemoglobin concentration.
• Packed Cell Volume.
• Red cell indices.
• Peripheral Blood Smear.
Definition of Anaemia
• Anaemia is defined as a reduction in the concentration
of circulating haemoglobin below the level that is
expected for healthy personsof same age and sex in the
same environment.
6
Blood parameters (Laboratory Normal Range)
Blood parameters (Laboratory Normal Range)
•In full term infants, hemoglobin is 18.0 ± 4.0 g/dl
•Children - 12.5 ± 1.5 g/dl
•Children(6-12 years) - 13.5 ± 2.0 g/dl
Grading of Anaemia
Classification of Anaemias
• Morphological Classification
• Etiological Classification
• Classification based on reticulocyte response.
Morphological Classification of Anemias
Hematocrit
• Proportion of the volume of red cells relative
to the volume of blood
• Rules of Three:
– RBC X 3 = Hemoglobin
– Hemoglobin X 3 = Hematocrit
Packed cell volume (PCV) or Haematocrit (Hct)
Men - 0.45 ± 0.05 l/l (40-50%)
Women - 0.41 ± 0.05 l/l (38-45 % in non- pregnant women
36-42 % in pregnant women)
Mean Corpuscular Volume
• Dividing the total volume of red cells by the
number of red cells
• Index for average size of red cells
• Normal range - 92 ± 9 fl
13
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin
• Average amount of haemoglobin in each red
cell.
• It is expressed in picograms or pg.
• Normal range - 29.5 ± 2.5 pg
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration
• This represents the average concentration of
haemoglobin in a given volume of packed red
cells.
• Normal range – 330 ± 15 g/l
• MCHC raised in hereditary spherocytosis.
• Decreased in hypochromic anaemia.
Red cell distribution width
• Variation in red cell size
• Normal range - 12.8% ± 1.2%
• Low in B-thalassemia trait
• High in iron deficiency anaemia
• Normal in anaemia of chronic disease
17
1 Microcytic/hypochromic
3
1 2
2 Macrocytic/Normochromic
3 Normocytic/Normochromic
Morphologic Categories of Anemia
N.B. The nucleus of a small
lymphocyte (shown by the arrow)
is used as a reference to a normal
red cell size
Macrocytic anemia
• Low/normal reticulocyte
count, macrocytosis(oval
and round)
• Elevated MCV,MCHC
• Basophilic stippling
• Howell-jolly bodies
• Cabot rings
• Pancytopenia
• Hypersegmented
neutrophils
• Bone marrow-
megaloblastic
maturation,sieve like
chromatin,nuclear-
cytoplasmic
asynchrony,maturation
arrest
Normocytic Normochromic anaemia
with effective erythropoiesis
Etiological Classification of Anaemias
Basic Approach to a diagnosis of anemia
Evaluation of microcytic hypochromic anaemia
Evaluation of macrocytic anaemia
Evaluation of normocytic anaemia
Evaluation of haemolytic anaemia
A simplified approach to diagnosis of haemolytic
anaemias
Reticulocyte Count
(In the Diagnosis of Anemia)
• Reticulocytes are non-
nucleated RBCs that still
contain RNA.
• Visualized by staining with
supravital dyes, including
new methylene blue or
brilliant cresyl blue.
• Useful in determining
response and potential of
bone marrow.
• Normal range is 0.5-2.5%
of all erythrocytes.
29
Fe++ deficiencyanemia
• Low hemoglobin and low packed cell volume
• Low MCV,MCH and MCHC
• Microcytosis & hypochromia are hallmarks
• RDW is increased
• Serum ferritin is less than 15 micro gram/dl
• Serum iron is low,TIBC is increased and transferrin saturation is less
than 10 percent
• Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin is increased.
• Increased soluble transferrin receptor in serum
• Bone marrow-micronormoblastic,absence of stainable iron in bone
marrow on Perls Prussian blue reaction
31
Megaloblastic Anemia
Mild to severe anemia,
– Increased MCV & MCH, normal MCHC
– Low RBC, HGB, WBC and PLT counts (fragile cells) due
to ineffective hematopoiesis.
– Low reticulocyte count
– Macrocytic ovalocytes and teardrops;
– Marked anisocytosis and poikilocytosis
– Schistocytes/microcytes - due to RBC breakage upon
leaving the BM
– Erythroid hyperplasia - low M:E ratio (1:1)
– Iron stores increased.
32
Macrocytic Ovalocytes
Blood NRBC Blood
Howell-Jolly body
Teardrop
Schistocyte
Stippled RBC &
Cabot Ring
Giant Platelet
Pap bodies Hypersegmented Neutrophil >5
lobes
Megaloblastic anemia
Tests
• Folate and B12 levels
• Schilling test may be useful to establish
etiology of B12 deficiency
– Assesses radioactive B12 absorption with and
without exogenous IF
• Other tests if pernicious anemia is suspected
– Anti- parietal cell antibodies, anti-IF antibodies
– Secondary causes of poor absorption should be
sought (gastritis, ileal problems, etc.)
Anemia of chronic disease
• Normocytic anemia with ineffective erythropoiesis
(reduced reticulocyte count)
• Normochromic
• Results from
– Chronic inflammation (e.g. rheumatologic disease):
Cytokines released by inflammatory cells cause
macrophages to accumulate iron and not transfer it to
plasma or developing red cells (iron block anemia)
– Inflammation
– malignancy
• Bone marrow suppression (EPO is elevated)
Anemia of chronic disease
• Decreased serum iron,decreased total iron
binding capacity and normal or raised ferritin
• Increased marrow storage iron
• ESR is high
Normochromic, normocytic anemia with
effective erythropoiesis
INCREASED reticulocyte count
• Acute blood loss
– Very acutely, with hypovolemia,
may have normal blood counts,
will become anemic with
volume replenishment
• Hemolytic anemia
– Increased reticulocyte
production cannot keep pace
with loss of RBCs peripherally.
• Response to specific therapy in
nutritional anemias
Aplastic anemia
• Pancytopenia caused by bone marrow
failure…decreased production of all cell
lines and replacement of marrow with
fat.
• Inherited- Fanconis anaemia, Dyskeratosis
congenita
• Acquired - Idiopathic,drugs like
NSAIDs,chloramphenicol,benzene,parvo
virus,hepatitis and EB virus.
Hemolytic anemia
• Abnormality intrinsic to red cells-
1. Hereditary spherocytosis
2. Thalassamia
3. Sickle cell anaemia
4. Glucose -6-phosphate dehydrogenase
deficiency
• Abnormality extrinsic to red cells-
1. Immune
2. Mechanical etc
Evaluation of haemolytic anaemia
Hereditary spherocytosis
• Inherited defect in the red cell membrane
cytoskeleton (spectrin, ankyrin or band 3)
leading to the formation of spherocytic red
cells.
• Autosomal dominant
• Mild to moderate anaemia
• Intermittent jaundice
• Splenomegaly
• Pigment gall stones
• Peripheral smear-microspherocytes
• Screening test-osmotic fragility
Thalassemia
• Decreased or absent globin
chains
• Alpha and beta
thalassemias
• Microcytic
hypochromic,target
cells,basophilic stippling
• Reticulocytosis
• Hb F elevated in
electrophoresis
Sickle cell anaemia
• Presence of Hb S
• Point mutation in 6th place of beta
chain
• Substitution of valine for glutamic acid
• On deoxygenation,sickle cells are
formed
• Chronic hemolytic anaemia,vaso-
occlusive crisis
• Aplastic crisis
• Hemolytic crisis
• Infections
Sickle cell anaemia
• Sickling test is positive.
• Solubility test is positive.
• Electrophoresis shows HbS.
• In sickle cell trait, electrophoresis shows 60
percent of Hb A and 40 percent Hb S
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
deficiency
• X linked disorder
• Reduced activity of G6PD
• Inability to remove H2O2
• Accumulated H2O2 leads to
oxidation of hemoglobin
with precipitation of globin
chains
• Heinz bodies
• Red cells with heinz bodies
destroyed in
spleen(extravascular
hemolysis)
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
deficiency
• Asymptomatic
• Neonatal jaundice
• Acute hemolytic anaemia
• Chronic hemolytic anaemia
• On peripheral smear-
polychromasia,fragmented red
cells,spherocytes,bite cells,half
ghost cells
• Biochemical-increased
bilirubin,hemoglobinemia and
hemoglobinuria
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
deficiency
• Screening tests-fluorescent spot
test,methemoglobin reduction test and dye
decolorisation test
Immune hemolytic anaemia
• Warm antibody-persons over 50 years,mild
jaundice and splenomegaly,red cells coated
with IgG,spherocytes.Seen in autoimmune
disorders,lymphoma
• Cold antibody-acrocyanosis,IgM.Seen in cold
agglutinin disease, Paroxysmal cold
hemoglobinuria (PCH)
Coomb’s test
• Detects presence of either antibody on RBC or
of antibody in serum
• Helpful in determining if a hemolytic anemia is
immune-mediated
SUMMARY
• Microcytic hypochromic anaemia-iron
deficiency
• Macrocytic hyperchromic-megaloblastic
anaemia
• Normochromic normocytic-hemolytic
anaemia
• Pancytopenia-megaloblastic and aplastic
anemias
laboratorydiagnosisofanemiaugs-170319165804 (1).pptx

laboratorydiagnosisofanemiaugs-170319165804 (1).pptx

  • 1.
    Laboratory Diagnosis ofAnemia By Dr.Varughese George Department of Pathology
  • 2.
    Learning Objectives At theend of this briefing, you should know • Clinical presentation of anemia. • Definition of anemia. • Approach to diagnosis of anemia • Classification of anaemia • Distinct features of each type of anemia.
  • 3.
    Clinical presentation ofanemias • Fatigue and weakness • Headache • Tinnitus • Numbness and coldness • Pallor • Dyspnea and palpitations • Angina pectoris • Intermittent claudication • Hemorrhages in the fundus of eyes • Menorrhagia • Anorexia • Flatulence • Nausea • Constipation
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Initial Laboratory Work-Up •Hemoglobin concentration. • Packed Cell Volume. • Red cell indices. • Peripheral Blood Smear.
  • 6.
    Definition of Anaemia •Anaemia is defined as a reduction in the concentration of circulating haemoglobin below the level that is expected for healthy personsof same age and sex in the same environment. 6
  • 7.
  • 8.
    Blood parameters (LaboratoryNormal Range) •In full term infants, hemoglobin is 18.0 ± 4.0 g/dl •Children - 12.5 ± 1.5 g/dl •Children(6-12 years) - 13.5 ± 2.0 g/dl
  • 9.
  • 10.
    Classification of Anaemias •Morphological Classification • Etiological Classification • Classification based on reticulocyte response.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Hematocrit • Proportion ofthe volume of red cells relative to the volume of blood • Rules of Three: – RBC X 3 = Hemoglobin – Hemoglobin X 3 = Hematocrit Packed cell volume (PCV) or Haematocrit (Hct) Men - 0.45 ± 0.05 l/l (40-50%) Women - 0.41 ± 0.05 l/l (38-45 % in non- pregnant women 36-42 % in pregnant women)
  • 13.
    Mean Corpuscular Volume •Dividing the total volume of red cells by the number of red cells • Index for average size of red cells • Normal range - 92 ± 9 fl 13
  • 14.
    Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin •Average amount of haemoglobin in each red cell. • It is expressed in picograms or pg. • Normal range - 29.5 ± 2.5 pg
  • 15.
    Mean Corpuscular HemoglobinConcentration • This represents the average concentration of haemoglobin in a given volume of packed red cells. • Normal range – 330 ± 15 g/l • MCHC raised in hereditary spherocytosis. • Decreased in hypochromic anaemia.
  • 16.
    Red cell distributionwidth • Variation in red cell size • Normal range - 12.8% ± 1.2% • Low in B-thalassemia trait • High in iron deficiency anaemia • Normal in anaemia of chronic disease
  • 17.
    17 1 Microcytic/hypochromic 3 1 2 2Macrocytic/Normochromic 3 Normocytic/Normochromic Morphologic Categories of Anemia N.B. The nucleus of a small lymphocyte (shown by the arrow) is used as a reference to a normal red cell size
  • 20.
    Macrocytic anemia • Low/normalreticulocyte count, macrocytosis(oval and round) • Elevated MCV,MCHC • Basophilic stippling • Howell-jolly bodies • Cabot rings • Pancytopenia • Hypersegmented neutrophils • Bone marrow- megaloblastic maturation,sieve like chromatin,nuclear- cytoplasmic asynchrony,maturation arrest
  • 21.
    Normocytic Normochromic anaemia witheffective erythropoiesis
  • 22.
  • 23.
    Basic Approach toa diagnosis of anemia
  • 24.
    Evaluation of microcytichypochromic anaemia
  • 25.
  • 26.
  • 27.
  • 28.
    A simplified approachto diagnosis of haemolytic anaemias
  • 29.
    Reticulocyte Count (In theDiagnosis of Anemia) • Reticulocytes are non- nucleated RBCs that still contain RNA. • Visualized by staining with supravital dyes, including new methylene blue or brilliant cresyl blue. • Useful in determining response and potential of bone marrow. • Normal range is 0.5-2.5% of all erythrocytes. 29
  • 30.
    Fe++ deficiencyanemia • Lowhemoglobin and low packed cell volume • Low MCV,MCH and MCHC • Microcytosis & hypochromia are hallmarks • RDW is increased • Serum ferritin is less than 15 micro gram/dl • Serum iron is low,TIBC is increased and transferrin saturation is less than 10 percent • Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin is increased. • Increased soluble transferrin receptor in serum • Bone marrow-micronormoblastic,absence of stainable iron in bone marrow on Perls Prussian blue reaction
  • 31.
    31 Megaloblastic Anemia Mild tosevere anemia, – Increased MCV & MCH, normal MCHC – Low RBC, HGB, WBC and PLT counts (fragile cells) due to ineffective hematopoiesis. – Low reticulocyte count – Macrocytic ovalocytes and teardrops; – Marked anisocytosis and poikilocytosis – Schistocytes/microcytes - due to RBC breakage upon leaving the BM – Erythroid hyperplasia - low M:E ratio (1:1) – Iron stores increased.
  • 32.
    32 Macrocytic Ovalocytes Blood NRBCBlood Howell-Jolly body Teardrop Schistocyte Stippled RBC & Cabot Ring Giant Platelet Pap bodies Hypersegmented Neutrophil >5 lobes Megaloblastic anemia
  • 33.
    Tests • Folate andB12 levels • Schilling test may be useful to establish etiology of B12 deficiency – Assesses radioactive B12 absorption with and without exogenous IF • Other tests if pernicious anemia is suspected – Anti- parietal cell antibodies, anti-IF antibodies – Secondary causes of poor absorption should be sought (gastritis, ileal problems, etc.)
  • 34.
    Anemia of chronicdisease • Normocytic anemia with ineffective erythropoiesis (reduced reticulocyte count) • Normochromic • Results from – Chronic inflammation (e.g. rheumatologic disease): Cytokines released by inflammatory cells cause macrophages to accumulate iron and not transfer it to plasma or developing red cells (iron block anemia) – Inflammation – malignancy • Bone marrow suppression (EPO is elevated)
  • 35.
    Anemia of chronicdisease • Decreased serum iron,decreased total iron binding capacity and normal or raised ferritin • Increased marrow storage iron • ESR is high
  • 36.
    Normochromic, normocytic anemiawith effective erythropoiesis INCREASED reticulocyte count • Acute blood loss – Very acutely, with hypovolemia, may have normal blood counts, will become anemic with volume replenishment • Hemolytic anemia – Increased reticulocyte production cannot keep pace with loss of RBCs peripherally. • Response to specific therapy in nutritional anemias
  • 37.
    Aplastic anemia • Pancytopeniacaused by bone marrow failure…decreased production of all cell lines and replacement of marrow with fat. • Inherited- Fanconis anaemia, Dyskeratosis congenita • Acquired - Idiopathic,drugs like NSAIDs,chloramphenicol,benzene,parvo virus,hepatitis and EB virus.
  • 38.
    Hemolytic anemia • Abnormalityintrinsic to red cells- 1. Hereditary spherocytosis 2. Thalassamia 3. Sickle cell anaemia 4. Glucose -6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency • Abnormality extrinsic to red cells- 1. Immune 2. Mechanical etc
  • 39.
  • 40.
    Hereditary spherocytosis • Inheriteddefect in the red cell membrane cytoskeleton (spectrin, ankyrin or band 3) leading to the formation of spherocytic red cells. • Autosomal dominant • Mild to moderate anaemia • Intermittent jaundice • Splenomegaly • Pigment gall stones • Peripheral smear-microspherocytes • Screening test-osmotic fragility
  • 41.
    Thalassemia • Decreased orabsent globin chains • Alpha and beta thalassemias • Microcytic hypochromic,target cells,basophilic stippling • Reticulocytosis • Hb F elevated in electrophoresis
  • 42.
    Sickle cell anaemia •Presence of Hb S • Point mutation in 6th place of beta chain • Substitution of valine for glutamic acid • On deoxygenation,sickle cells are formed • Chronic hemolytic anaemia,vaso- occlusive crisis • Aplastic crisis • Hemolytic crisis • Infections
  • 43.
    Sickle cell anaemia •Sickling test is positive. • Solubility test is positive. • Electrophoresis shows HbS. • In sickle cell trait, electrophoresis shows 60 percent of Hb A and 40 percent Hb S
  • 44.
    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency • Xlinked disorder • Reduced activity of G6PD • Inability to remove H2O2 • Accumulated H2O2 leads to oxidation of hemoglobin with precipitation of globin chains • Heinz bodies • Red cells with heinz bodies destroyed in spleen(extravascular hemolysis)
  • 45.
    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency • Asymptomatic •Neonatal jaundice • Acute hemolytic anaemia • Chronic hemolytic anaemia • On peripheral smear- polychromasia,fragmented red cells,spherocytes,bite cells,half ghost cells • Biochemical-increased bilirubin,hemoglobinemia and hemoglobinuria
  • 46.
    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency • Screeningtests-fluorescent spot test,methemoglobin reduction test and dye decolorisation test
  • 47.
    Immune hemolytic anaemia •Warm antibody-persons over 50 years,mild jaundice and splenomegaly,red cells coated with IgG,spherocytes.Seen in autoimmune disorders,lymphoma • Cold antibody-acrocyanosis,IgM.Seen in cold agglutinin disease, Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH)
  • 48.
    Coomb’s test • Detectspresence of either antibody on RBC or of antibody in serum • Helpful in determining if a hemolytic anemia is immune-mediated
  • 49.
    SUMMARY • Microcytic hypochromicanaemia-iron deficiency • Macrocytic hyperchromic-megaloblastic anaemia • Normochromic normocytic-hemolytic anaemia • Pancytopenia-megaloblastic and aplastic anemias