title: An unusual cause of anemia in cirrhosis: spur cell anemia, a case report with review of literature.
abstract: Chronic anemia is common in liver cirrhosis. In this setting, the pathogenesis of anemia is complex and multifactorial. Spur cell anemia is a serious disorder in cirrhotic patients and is associated with poor prognosis. Liver transplantation constitutes the only therapeutic tool. We report a case with severe spur cell anemia in alcoholic liver cirrhosis. In the attempt to investigate the origin of the disorder, we have evaluated the lipoprotein profile and found a significant reduction of apolipoprotein AI and HDL3subclass as a possible cause of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Privitera
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meli
keywords: Acanthocytes; Alcoholic liver cirrhosis; Haemolysis; Liver transplantation; Spur cell anemia