Hereditary ovalocytosis is rare condition pass down through families in which blood cells are slightly oval shaped instead of round. It is a form of hereditary elliptocytosis.
Alternative Names:
Ovalocytosis - hereditary
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Ovalocytosis is mainly found in Southeast Asian populations.
Symptoms:
Newborn infants with ovalocytosis may have anemia and jaundice. Adults usually do not show symptoms and are known as asymptomatic.
Signs and tests:
An examination by your health care provider may occasionally show an enlarged spleen.
This condition is diagnosed by look at the shape of blood cells under a microscope. The following tests may also be done:
Review Date: 2/6/2007
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Hematology
