microcyte
Sign in to saveA microcyte is an abnormally sized red blood cell. By definition, it is 5 micrometers or smaller in diameter with a mean corpuscular value less than 80fL. It is often associated with several forms of anemia. Microcytes are associated with the most common cause of anemia in children and adults. Many causes of microcytes can be seen at birth; however, some variations are acquired. The most common cause of microcytes is iron availability and/or iron metabolism.
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Article
10 sectionsContents
- Causes
- Globin chain defect
- Heme structure defects
- Iron metabolism/availability
- Complications
- Anemia Symptoms
- Iron-Related Symptoms
- Treatment and Interventions
- References
- External links
A microcyte is an abnormally sized red blood cell. By definition, it is 5 micrometers or smaller in diameter with a mean corpuscular value less than 80fL. It is often associated with several forms of anemia. Microcytes are associated with the most common cause of anemia in children and adults. Many causes of microcytes can be seen at birth; however, some variations are acquired. The most common cause of microcytes is iron availability and/or iron metabolism.
== Causes == Typically, three main causes can be attributed to the formation of microcytes. The three include defects in the globin chain, defects in the synthesis of the heme structure, and issues with iron availability or iron binding. These causes result in structural abnormalities that cause the erythrocyte to become smaller in size due to a missing component of the red blood cell.