Microcytic anemia is characterized by a mean red blood cell volume of less than 80 fl. The main causes of microcytic anemia are iron deficiency, inflammatory diseases, and thalassemia.
What happens in Microcytic Anemia?
- In microcytic anemia, red blood cells (erythrocytes) contain less hemoglobin and are usually also pale. This means that red blood cells appear thinner than normal.
- This may be reflected by lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), a measure of the amount of hemoglobin per unit volume of intracellular fluid. Usually around 320-360 g/L or 32-36 g/dL. Therefore, this category of anemia is usually called "microcytic hypochromic anemia".
Why is iron deficiency anemia microcytic?
In iron deficiency anemia, red blood cells are smaller than normal (microcytosis). This is because maturing red blood cells undergo extracellular division before reaching the critical hemoglobin concentration required to stop mitosis.
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