A seven year study of haemolytic anaemias at the Rangoon General Hospital

ABSTRACT

1213 patients were diagnosed to have haemolytic anaemia during a seven year period from 1976 to 1982 at the Department of Clinical Haematology, Rangoon General Hospital. Hereditary haemolytic anaemias constituted the vast majority with 96.2 per cent of all cases and acquired haemolytic anaemias were found in only 3.8 per cent. Beter thalassaemia and Beter chain variants were the commonest (66.5 per cent) followed by glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (19.7 per cent). Among the B chain varinats, haemoglobin E was the commonest abnormality being present in 31.1 per cent of all cases. Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria, once thought to be rare, was slightly more common (1.81 per cent) than autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (1.73 per cent) even though both conditions formed only a minority.