There are four major forms of anemia that may be classified as microcytic:
- Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) results from a nutritional deficiency due to malnutrition, malabsorption, or chronic blood loss.
- Sideroblastic Anemia (SA) causes an inability to form heme due to an inherited or congenital mutation resulting in a lack of enzymes in the heme pathway, some acquired agent blocking heme metabolism progression, associated with neoplastic conditions, or refractory anemia that has no known initial cause.
- Anemia of Chronic Inflammation (ACI) results from chronic inflammation or infections impacting the ability of hepcidin to allow the release of iron from body storage sites.
- Thalassemia results from genetic mutations that cause a decrease or absence of normal forms of hemoglobin.
The remainder of this course will look at various laboratory testing that can be used to differentiate IDA, SA, and ACI while further evaluation of thalassemia is available through a different course.
