MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA

Course overview

MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA (MA) ENCOMPASSES A HETEROGENEOUS GROUP OF ANEMIAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRESENCE IN THE BONE MARROW OF LARGE RED BLOOD CELL PRECURSORS CALLED MEGALOBLASTS. THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO IMPAIRED DNA SYNTHESIS, WHICH INHIBITS NUCLEAR DIVISION. CYTOPLASMIC MATURATION, MAINLY DEPENDENT ON RNA AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, IS LESS IMPAIRED; THIS LEADS TO AN ASYNCHRONOUS MATURATION BETWEEN THE NUCLEUS AND CYTOPLASM OF ERYTHROBLASTS, EXPLAINING THE LARGE SIZE OF THE MEGALOBLASTS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE AND PRESENTATION OF MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.