What is the Difference Between Anisocytosis and Poikilocytosis?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Anisocytosis and poikilocytosis are both abnormalities in red blood cells that can result from various anemic conditions. The main differences between these two conditions are:
- Anisocytosis refers to the presence of red blood cells with unequal sizes, appearing either smaller or larger than the standard size. It is often a sign of anemia and can be caused by various conditions, including iron deficiency anemia, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and megaloblastic anemia.
- Poikilocytosis refers to the presence of red blood cells with abnormal shapes, such as flat, elongated, teardrop-shaped, crescent-shaped, sickle-shaped, or other irregular features. It can be due to both inherited and acquired causes, including genetic mutations and conditions like liver disease.
Some common etiologies of both anisocytosis and poikilocytosis include anemias (iron deficiency, hemolytic, sickle cell, and megaloblastic), hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, folate and vitamin B-12 deficiency, and liver disease. Both conditions can be diagnosed through microscopic observations of blood smears.
Comparative Table: Anisocytosis vs Poikilocytosis
The main difference between anisocytosis and poikilocytosis lies in the type of changes in red blood cells: anisocytosis refers to red blood cells of unequal size, while poikilocytosis refers to red blood cells with abnormal shapes. Here is a comparison table highlighting the differences between the two:
Feature | Anisocytosis | Poikilocytosis |
---|---|---|
Definition | Presence of red blood cells of unequal size | Presence of red blood cells with abnormal shapes |
Conditions | Macrocytosis (large red blood cells) and microcytosis (small red blood cells) | Elongated, crescent-shaped, teardrop-shaped, and other pointy projections |
Causes | Anemias (iron deficiency, hemolytic, sickle cell, megaloblastic), hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, folate and vitamin B-12 deficiency, liver disease or cirrhosis, kidney disease | Anemias, hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, folate and vitamin B-12 deficiency |
Symptoms | Weakness, fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath | Abnormally shaped red blood cells (greater than 10%), fatigue, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath |
Diagnosis | Red cell distribution width (RDW) measurement | Microscopic observations |
Both anisocytosis and poikilocytosis are nonspecific features of various blood disorders and can be caused by different types of anemia or other underlying medical conditions.
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