A blood smear is only occasionally useful in determining the cause of a normocytic normochromic anemia. Signs of inflammation may be present in anemia of chronic disease. Increased rouleau formation and background staining can also indicate multiple myeloma. Polychromasia suggests the possibility of...
Related to Normocytic:normocytic anemia,normocytic normochromic anemia a·ne·mi·a alsoa·nae·mi·a(ə-nē′mē-ə) n. A pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, measured in unit volume concentrations of hemoglobin, red blood cell volume, or red blood ...
Basic diagnostic studies include the red blood cell distribution width, corrected reticulocyte index and peripheral blood smear; further testing is guided by the results of these studies. Treatment should be directed at correcting the underlying cause of the anemia. A recent advance in treatment is ...
blood smear showing sickle cell anemiaBlood smear in which the red cells show variation in size and shape typical of sickle cell anemia. (A) Long, thin, deeply stained cells with pointed ends are irreversibly sickled. (B) Small, round, dense cells are hyperchromic because a part of the mem...