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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 4 | Page : 159 |
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Back to basics: Dimorphic anemia and peripheral blood smear examination
Ashok Singh
Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
| Date of Web Publication | 12-Jan-2018 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Ashok Singh
Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh - 249 203, Uttarakhand
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/joah.joah_64_17
How to cite this article:
Singh A. Back to basics: Dimorphic anemia and peripheral blood smear examination. J Appl Hematol 2017;8:159 |
We read with great interest the article “Clinico-hematological profile of dimorphic anemia” by Garg et al.[1] Dimorphic anemia, morphologically characterized by two cell population, strongly suggests a dual deficiency of iron and Vitamin B12/folate. Other causes of dimorphic anemia include iron deficiency anemia responding to iron therapy, after transfusion of normal blood to a patient with a hypochromic anemia, sideroblastic anemia, macrocytic anemia posttransfusion, the unmasking of iron deficiency following treatment of megaloblastic anemia, and delayed transfusion reactions. Nutritional anemia, which is an important cause of dimorphic anemia, is a significant problem worldwide. Prevalence of anemia is high in developing countries, especially among women.[2] Similarly, the authors have noted that although dimorphic anemia is common in developing countries, yet it is an undermined entity.[1]
The authors have also emphasized on the role of complete hemogram and peripheral blood smear examination.[1] In spite of significant developments in the diagnostic modalities, peripheral blood smear examination remains an invaluable component of hematology.[3] An accurate peripheral blood smear interpretation can help in diagnosing vast spectrum of hematologic disorders, guide further testing, and patient management.[4] Thus, in low resource settings, complete hemogram and peripheral blood smear examination are basic yet highly informative diagnostic tools for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of anemia.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Garg P, Dey B, Deshpande AH, Bharti JN, Nigam JS. Clinico-hematological profile of dimorphic anemia. J Appl Hematol 2017;8:123-4.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Bentley ME, Griffiths PL. The burden of anemia among women in India. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:52-60. [ PUBMED] |
| 3. | Adewoyin AS, Nwogoh B. Peripheral blood film – A review. Ann Ib Postgrad Med 2014;12:71-9. [ PUBMED] |
| 4. | Garg P, Deshpande AH, Dey B, Ojha P. A study of the peripheral smears in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Int J Health Sci Res 2017;7:22-7. |
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