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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Overview

Pernicious anaemia (also called Addison's anemia) is a type of red blood cell disorder caused by impaired vitamin B12 metabolism. Vitamin B12 is primarily absorbed by the small intestine, after being bound to intrinsic factor secreted by parietal cells of gastric mucosa. When this process is disrupted by conditions like atrophic gastritis, celiac disease, small bowel resection etc, B12 deficiency ensues. Historically, this type of anaemia was called "pernicious" because it was harder to treat and most often resulted in death. Red blood cells in this type of anaemia are abnormally large, thus earning the name megaloblastic anaemia. Pernicious anaemia might be caused due to insufficient intake or poor absorption.