Use of capillary blood to diagnose hereditary spherocytosis

• Published in: Pediatric blood & cancer 2012-12, Vol.59 (7), p.1299-1301
• Main Authors: Crisp, Renée L., Solari, Liliana, Gammella, Daniel, Schvartzman, Gabriel A., Rapetti, María Cristina, Donato, Hugo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anemia, Hemolytic - diagnosis; Anemia, Hemolytic - therapy; Blood Specimen Collection - methods; Capillaries; capillary blood; Child; Child, Preschool; Composite Resins; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) - analogs & derivatives; flow cytometry; Freezing; Hematologic Tests - methods; Hemolysis; hereditary spherocytosis; Humans; hypertonic cryohemolysis; Infant; Infant, Newborn; neonatal anemia; Osmotic Fragility; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spherocytosis, Hereditary - diagnosis; Spherocytosis, Hereditary - therapy
• ISSN: 1545-5009; 1545-5017
• DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24157

We studied 31 children with hemolytic anemia, or with positive family history for hereditary spherocytosis (HS), to assess the reliability of capillary blood samples for the diagnosis. HS was diagnosed in 20 patients. Cryohemolysis (CH) was positive in 94% and eosin‐5′‐maleimide flow cytometry in 90% of them, whereas flow cytometric osmotic fragility was positive in 94%. Capillary blood sampling showed to be useful for the diagnosis. Simultaneous use of these three tests allows confirming diagnosis in 100% of patients. The use of very small blood volumes (300 µl) allows an earlier diagnosis in neonates and small infants. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 1299–1301. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.