title: Importance of screening the peripheral smear.
abstract: A 5-year-old boy presented with history of failure to thrive from infancy. There was a history of one sibling death due to similar problems and history of severe abortions in the mother. Routine examination of peripheral smear revealed more than 50% acanthocytes. Based on this tests were streamlined to doing lipid profile and Lipo protein electrophoresis which revealed hypolipidemia and absent beta hypo protein band. Jejunal mucosal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of A Beta Lipo proteinemia which revealed lipid laden enterocytes. This case illustrates the importance of simple tests like peripheral smear examination in streamlining further tests in the diagnosis of major diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, Chennai, India. saralarajajee@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sarala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajajee
authors.forename: Malathi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sathyasekaran
authors.forename: Janani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dhathathri
authors.lastname: Anandnathan
mesh_terms: D000012:Abetalipoproteinemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B