Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Pernicious anemia laboratory findings
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Laboratory Findings
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.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]