PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA
Pernicious anaemia is a type of megaloblastic anaemia due inablity to secrete intrinsic factor that helps in absorption of vitamin B12.
PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA
BLOOD PICTURE
a.) WHAT CAUSES PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA ?
ans:->Pernicious anaemia occurs as a complication of rheumatoid gastritis.
GROSS: RHEUMATOID GASTRITIS
Rheumatoid gastritis leads to damage of parietal cell of fundic mucousa which is responsible for secretion of intrinsic factor. Therefore depletion of parietal cells leads to lack of intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is responsible for absorption of vitamin B12 . So lack of intrinsic factor leads to anaemia.
b.) WHAT DOES THE WORD PERNICIOUS MEAN ?
ans:-> The word 'PERNICIOUS' means 'DESTRUCTIVE'. In medical term it is used to denote diseaseof severe charracter and usually fatal without appropriate treatment.
since there is no treatment or cure for pernicious anaemia after it's clinical signs are seen and
since it is a very severe type of megaloblastic anaemia the term pernicious is appropriate.
c.) CAN ALL CASES OF VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY BE CALLED PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA ?
ans:-> NO.
Only the vitamin B12 deficiency due to deficieny of intrinsic factor can be called as pernicious anaemia.
d.) WHY DOES VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY LEAD TO ANAEMIA ?
ans:-> Vitamin B12 is important factor for DNA synthesis during erythropoesis. Deficiency of vitamin B12 leads to impairment of DNA synthesis that leads to distinctive morphologicchanges and abnormally large erythroid precursors and red cells which are inappropriate for normal RBC function and there fore leads to anaemia.
The large erythroid precusrsors are called megaloblasts and therefore the anaemia is called megaloblastic anaemia.
MEGALOBLASTS SURROUNDED BY GAINT BANDS
e.) ARE ALL MEGALOBLASTIC ANAEMIA CAUSED ONLY DUE TO FOLATE DEFICIENCY ?
ans:-> NO. Megaloblastic naaemia can be either due to folate deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency.
PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA IS DUE TO FOLATE DEFICIENCY.
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