Patients with hereditary spherocytosis tend to have an increased MCHC and RDW. Both of these parameters are routinely reported by automated blood analyzers.
Red blood cell parameters:
(1) RDW (red cell distribution width) is the coefficient of variation for the distribution of individual red cell volumes and is reported in percent.
(2) MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) is reported in g/dL.
MCHC
RDW
Sensitivity
Specificity
> 35
70%
86%
> 35.4
57%
96%
> 14
85%
97%
> 35
> 14
63%
100%
> 35.4
> 14
50%
100%
from Table II, page 959, Michaels et al (1997)
Limitations:
• The patients studied were children with hereditary spherocytosis and normal children served as the controls. The sensitivity and specificity were not derived by performance using children with other forms of anemia. The RDW can be increased in several types of anemia.
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