Iron Deficiency Anemia
Qian-Yun Zhang, MD, PhD
Key Facts
Clinical Issues
Incidence
Most common anemia worldwide
Affects ˜ 3 billion people
Fatigue, pallor, weakness, tachycardia
Microscopic Pathology
Frequent elliptocytes
Occasional target cells
Variable numbers of prekeratocyes
Top Differential Diagnoses
Thalassemia
Anemia of chronic disease (ACD)
Lead poisoning
Diagnostic Checklist
Hypochromic, microcytic anemia
↓ serum iron
↓ ferritin
↑ total-iron binding capacity
 Blood smear shows iron deficiency anemia with marked anisopoikilocytosis and elliptocytes. Hypochromasia is prominent in this patient (Hgb 7.7 gm/dL). |
 Peripheral blood smear from a patient with iron deficiency anemia shows rare prekeratocytes  . |
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA)
Synonyms
Microcytic hypochromic anemia
Definitions
IDA results from decreased hemoglobin production secondary to decreased iron availability
ETIOLOGY/PATHOGENESIS
Hemoglobin (Hgb)
Iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in red blood cells of vertebrates
Hemoglobin molecule is assembly of 4 globular protein subunits with associated heme group
Each heme group contains 1 iron atom that can bind 1 oxygen molecule
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