Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Macrocytosis

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Specialty
  
hematology

ICD-9-CM
  
289.89

eMedicine
  
med/1381

ICD-10
  
D75.8

DiseasesDB
  
7688

Macrocytosis is the enlargement of red blood cells with near-constant hemoglobin concentration, and is defined by a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of greater than 100 femtolitres (the precise criterion varies between laboratories). The enlarged erythrocytes are called macrocytes or megalocytes (both words have roots meaning "big cell").

Contents

Causes

Most commonly (especially when the increase in size is mild, and just above normal range) the cause is bone marrow dysplasia secondary to alcohol abuse and chronic alcoholism.

Poor absorption of vitamin B12 in the digestive tract can also cause macrocytosis.

Gastrointestinal diseases that may cause macrocytosis include celiac disease (severe sensitivity to gluten from wheat and other grains that causes intestinal damage) and Crohn’s disease (inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract). (Source healthgrades.com)

Other causes may include:

  • megaloblastosis (vitamin B12 or folate deficiency; or DNA synthesis-inhibiting drugs)
  • hypothyroidism
  • chronic obstructive airway disease
  • aplastic anemia
  • reticulocytosis (commonly from hemolysis or a recent history of blood loss).
  • liver disease
  • myeloproliferative disease
  • myelodysplastic syndrome which most commonly presents with macrocytic anemia
  • chronic exposure to benzene
  • pregnancy (most common, and requires no treatment as the person affected will return to normal post-partum)

    • Complications

    No complications arise from macrocytosis itself and a prognosis will be determined from its cause.

    References

    Macrocytosis Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA