Laboratory Findings in Beta Thalassemia
Hematologic Findings For Various Types of Beta Thalassemia
| Anemia | Absent | Mild to absent | Moderate | Severe | Mild |
| Red blood cell (RBC) count | Normal | Increased | Decreased to normal | Decreased | Decreased to normal |
| Hemoglobin(Hb) | Normal | Decreased to normal (10 - 12 g/dL) | Decreased (7 - 10 g/dL) | Marked decrease (<7 g/dL) | Decreased to normal (8 - 13 g/dL) |
| Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) | Slight to no decrease | Marked decrease | Marked decrease | Marked decrease | May be slightly decreased |
| Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) | Slight to no decrease | Marked decrease | Marked decrease | Marked decrease | May be slightly decreased |
| Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) | Normal | Normal to slightly increased | Increased | Increased | Normal |
| RBC morphology | Normal | - Marked hypochromia and microcytosis
- Codocytes (target cells)
- Possible basophilic stippling
Nucleated RBCs are usually not present | - Marked hypochromia and microcytosis
- Codocytes (target cells)
- Possible basophilic stippling
Nucleated RBCs are usually not present | - Marked hypochromia and microcytosis
- Codocytes (target cells)
- schistocytes
- ovalocytes
- basophilic stippling
- polychromasia
- nucleated RBCs
| - Possible hypochromia and microcytosis
- Codocytes (target cells)
- Basophilic stippling
|
| Reticulocyte count | Normal | May be slightly increased | Slightly increased (<5%) | Mildly increased (5 - 10%) | Mildly increased |
| Hb electrophoresis | Normal pattern | - Decreased amount of Hb A
- Variable amounts of Hb A2 and Hb F
| - Decreased amount of Hb A
- Variable amount of Hb A2
- Hb F is usually increased
| - Severly decreased amount of Hb A
- Variable amount of Hb A2
- Usually an increased amount of Hb F
| Decreased amount of Hb A and Hb A2 Increased amount of Hb F (15 - 20%) |
If red blood cells are normochromic and normocytic, the RBC, Hb, and Hematocrit (HCT) test values follow in three-fold progression (i.e., RBC x 3 = Hb and Hb x 3 = HCT). This is sometimes referred to as "the rule of threes." This rule will usually not apply in cases of beta thalassemia, particularly beta thalassemia minor where the RBCs are not normochromic and are microcytic, and where there is a disproportionate number of RBCs for the amount of hemoglobin that is present.
