The peripheral blood smear of a patient with anemia reveals normochromic RBCs.Which of the following is likely to be the cause of the anemia?
A)Thalassemia
B)Chronic inflammation
C)Sickle cell anemia
D)Porphyrias

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Normochromic RBCs indicate that the RBCs have a normal amount of hemoglobin, ruling out thalassemia (which causes hypochromic RBCs) and sickle cell anemia (which causes characteristic sickle-shaped RBCs). Chronic inflammation is a common cause of normochromic anemia due to the suppression of erythropoiesis and increased destruction of RBCs. Porphyrias are a group of metabolic disorders that affect heme production but do not typically cause normochromic anemia.

The Peripheral Blood Smear of a Patient with Anemia Reveals