title: Use of capillary blood to diagnose hereditary spherocytosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: División Hematología Clínica, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Nacional Alejandro Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. reneecrisp@gmail.com
authors.forename: Renée L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Crisp
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Solari
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gammella
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schvartzman
authors.forename: María Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rapetti
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Donato
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D002196:Capillaries; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003188:Composite Resins; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS) / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005615:Freezing; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009996:Osmotic Fragility; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; C111840:flowable hybrid composite; C033531:eosin maleimide; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS)