Anaemia can be classified by their causes and may be due to:
Symptoms due to anaemia include:
Anaemia can arise from a range of causes, typically grouped into:
Clinically, there are several laboratory tests that can assist the physicians to arrive at a diagnosis. A careful study of the blood film often offers many clues eg. changes in shape/size/colour of the blood cell, any abnormal intracellular inclusions, any parasites or worms present, etc. With these blood features as a guide, the clinician can proceed to other tests for diagnostic confirmation. These confirmatory tests may include a genetic study for certain hereditary disorders, biochemical determination of certain intracellular/extracellular chemical levels such as iron/folate, CT scan of the spleen for possible splenic disorders, bone marrow/lymph node biopsy for malignancies, etc.
The treatment for anaemia is tailored to address its underlying cause. A haematologist will evaluate the patient to determine the specific cause of the anaemia and recommend appropriate treatment options. Depending on the diagnosis, the following treatments may be considered:
For anaemia due to blood cancers such as leukemias, myelomas, lymphomas or myelodysplastic syndrome, dedicated teams in the blood cancer service will assess and plan treatment with chemotherapy, immunotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell transplant as needed.
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