Pernicious anemia laboratory findings
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Laboratory Findings
A diagnosis of pernicious anaemia first requires demonstration of megaloblastic anaemia (through a full blood count) and of its direct cause, vitamin BTemplate:Ssub deficiency (by measuring BTemplate:Ssub levels in serum). A Schillings test can then be used to distinguish pernicious anemia from other causes of vitamin BTemplate:Ssub deficiency (notably malabsorption. A diagnosis of atrophic gastritis should be confirmed by gastroscopy with biopsies. Approximately 90% of individuals with pernicious anemia have antibodies for parietal cells, however only 50% of individuals with these antibodies have pernicious anaemia.
- Tests that may used to diagnose or monitor pernicious anemia include:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Reticulocyte count
- Schilling test
- Serum LDH
- Serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) level
- Serum vitamin B12 level
- Bone marrow examination (only needed if diagnosis is unclear)
- Measurement of serum holotranscobalamin II
- Pernicious anemia may also affect the results of the following tests:
- Bilirubin
- Cholesterol test
- Gastrin
- Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase
- Peripheral smear
- TIBC
- Vitamin B12 deficiency affects the appearance of cells that form on the outer surface of the body and line inner passageways (epithelial cells). An untreated woman may have a false positive Pap smear.