Red blood cell indices in cyanotic congenital heart disease

Abstract EN

The red blood cell indices of 63 patients (35 boys and 28 girls) with cyanotic congenital heart disease were reviewed to determine the incidence of hypochromic microcytic anemic and its correlation to neurologic complication in these cases.

Mean age was 3.6±4.4 years with a range from 1 month to 15 years.

Fifty-two percent of patients were less than 1 year of age.

Eleven patients (17.5%) presented with MCV<3rd percentile for age and sex.

MCH and MCGC<3rd percentile for age and sex were noted in 44.4% and 62% of our cases respectively.

Hypochromia was more prevalent than microcytosis in the patients. There were eight cases with neurologic complications.

We didn’t find significant difference between red blood cell indices of this group and that of the remaining children.

Patients with neuroligic complications were significantly older (P<0.006). We conclude that the incidence of hypochromic anemia is high in cyanotic young patients in developing countries and prolonged period of chronic hypoxemia predisposes these children to neurologic sequelae.