Hereditary spherocytosis
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Hereditary spherocytosis
Genetics
Population genetics
Genetic disorders
Achondroplasia
Alagille syndrome (NORD)
Familial adenomatous polyposis
Familial hypercholesterolemia
Hereditary spherocytosis
Huntington disease
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Marfan syndrome
Multiple endocrine neoplasia
Myotonic dystrophy
Neurofibromatosis
Polycystic kidney disease
Treacher Collins syndrome
Tuberous sclerosis
von Hippel-Lindau disease
Albinism
Alpha-thalassemia
Beta-thalassemia
Cystic fibrosis
Friedreich ataxia
Gaucher disease (NORD)
Glycogen storage disease type I
Glycogen storage disease type II (NORD)
Glycogen storage disease type III
Glycogen storage disease type IV
Glycogen storage disease type V
Hemochromatosis
Krabbe disease
Leukodystrophy
Mucopolysaccharide storage disease type 1 (Hurler syndrome) (NORD)
Niemann-Pick disease type C
Niemann-Pick disease types A and B (NORD)
Phenylketonuria (NORD)
Polycystic kidney disease
Primary ciliary dyskinesia
Sickle cell disease (NORD)
Tay-Sachs disease (NORD)
Wilson disease
Cri du chat syndrome
Williams syndrome
Angelman syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
Mitochondrial myopathy
Klinefelter syndrome
Turner syndrome
Fragile X syndrome
Friedreich ataxia
Huntington disease
Myotonic dystrophy
Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)
Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18)
Patau syndrome (Trisomy 13)
Alport syndrome
Fragile X syndrome
Fabry disease (NORD)
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
Hemophilia
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Mucopolysaccharide storage disease type 2 (Hunter syndrome) (NORD)
Muscular dystrophy
Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
X-linked agammaglobulinemia
Autosomal trisomies: Pathology review
Miscellaneous genetic disorders: Pathology review
Muscular dystrophies and mitochondrial myopathies: Pathology review
Flashcards
Hereditary spherocytosis
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Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
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A 6-year-old girl is brought to the clinic by her parent due to repeated episodes of jaundice, pallor, and fatigue for the last 8 months and new-onset abdominal pain for the last 3 days. She is at the 35th percentile for height and 20th percentile for weight. The parent reports no pregnancy or birth-related complications and states that the patient had been relatively healthy previously. The parent states that the girl’s biological father had been hospitalized with similar symptoms as a child and had abdominal surgery, but the details of the surgery are unknown. The patient’s temperature is 37°C (98.9°F), pulse is 90/min, respirations are 24/min, and blood pressure is 118/72 mmHg. Physical examination shows an ill-appearing pale child with scleral icterus and splenomegaly. Laboratory tests are obtained and the results are shown below. The patient most likely has a defect in which of the following?
| Laboratory Value | Result |
| Hematologic | |
| Leukocyte count | 6,500/mm3 |
| Platelet count | 250,000/mm3 |
| Hemoglobin | 9.6 g/dL |
| Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) | 84 fL |
| Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) | 42 g/dL (normal 32-36 g/dL) |
| Red cell distribution width (RDW) | 15% |
| Reticulocyte count | 9.1% |
Summary
Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder in which red blood cells are sphere-shaped instead of having the normal biconcave shape. These abnormal red blood cells break down prematurely, which can lead to anemia. Also, because of their abnormal shape, red blood cells in spherocytosis don't move through small blood cells efficiently as normal ones do, which can affect tissue oxygenation. People with hereditary spherocytosis can present with jaundice, splenomegaly, and features of anemia like pallor and fatigue.