PEDIATRICS Vol. 80 No. 2 August 1987, pp. 251-254
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Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Pediatric Microcytic Anemias

Robert W. Novak MD1

1 From the Children's Hospital Medical Center, Akron, Ohio

The RBC distribution width has been reported to be of value in the discrimination of iron deficiency anemia from other microcytic anemias, but studies in pediatric populations are lacking. A population of 734 normal children was studied to establish age-appropriate normal values for RBC distribution width. The RBC distribution width of 47 patients with microcytic anemia was then evaluated. RBC distribution width was elevated in 19 of 22 patients with iron deficiency but was also increased in six of 14 patients with thalassemia trait and two of 11 patients with anemia secondary to inflammatory disease. The resulting discrimination was better than that obtained by using Mentzer's index or the discriminant function in the patients studied. The RBC distribution width, albeit a less then perfect tool, can be of value in evaluating pediatric patients with microcytic anemia.

Key Words: microcytic anemia • red blood cell distribution width

Submitted on June 2, 1986




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S. M. AlFadhli, A. M. Al-Awadhi, and D. AlKhaldi
Validity Assessment of Nine Discriminant Functions Used for the Differentiation between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Thalassemia Minor
J Trop Pediatr, April 1, 2007; 53(2): 93 - 97.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]