title: Atypical spherocytosis, a disease of spleen as well as of red blood-cells.
abstract: It is proposed that atypical spherocytosis is a result of severe spherocytosis combined with splenic dysfunction. The spleen exercises a "conditioning" effect on the red blood-cell but is insufficient in the "culling" and "pitting" functions. As a result, a large population of severely damaged erythrocytes is  circulating in the peripheral blood giving rise to atypical autohaemolysis.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004913:Erythrocytes, Abnormal; D006801:Humans; D009996:Osmotic Fragility; D013102:Spherocytes / Q000473:pathology; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000503:physiopathology; D013156:Splenectomy; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications