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Sideroblastic anemia is a term used to describe a group of rare blood disorders characterized by the bone marrow's inability to manufacture normal red blood cells.
Sideroblastic Anemia (SA) is a complicated disorder and therefore difficult to treat. Often SA acts like iron deficiency anemia (IDA), but unlike IDA, iron tests are normal or increased with SA.
Three categories of sideroblastic anemia are:
- hereditary sideroblastic anemia
- acquired sideroblastic anemia
- idiopathic sideroblastic anemia
Causes of Sideroblastic anemia
The exact cause of the Sideroblastic Anemias is unknown. The disorder may be due to a failure of the bone marrow to produce normal red blood cells, or to the inability of the body to utilize appropriately the iron available in the red blood cells for the manufacture of hemoglobin.
The cause of sideroblastic anemia cannot always be identified. Drug toxicity, alcohol abuse, and lead poisoning are common causes of this condition.
Sideroblastic anemia is also associated with:
- leukemia
- lymphoma
- myeloma
- rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases
Symptoms of Sideroblastic anemia
Sideroblastic Anemias are characterized by general weakness, fatigue and difficulty breathing. When making a physical effort, persons with this disorder may feel angina-like chest pains.
Symptoms of sideroblastic anemia are the same as symptoms of the disease that causes the condition, as well as anemia
Diagnosis of Sideroblastic anemia (SA)
Blood tests are used to examine the appearance and other characteristics of red cells and to measure the amount of iron in the blood. Bone marrow biopsy is also used.
Treatment of Sideroblastic anemia (SA)
To remove excess iron from the body of persons with Sideroblastic Anemia, the drug desferrioxamine (D.F.) is infused under the skin (subcutaneously) or injected into a muscle (intramuscular), often with good results.
A combination of desferrioxamine with ascorbate has been even more effective in removing excess iron from the body in many cases.
Some forms of Sideroblastic Anemia may respond well to treatment with pyridoxine, while other types do not respond at all.
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