Hemolysis and Spherocytosis: Overview, Symptoms, and Treatment
Hemolysis is the premature destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) before the end of their normal lifespan of approximately 120 days. As RBCs break down, hemoglobin is released and metabolized, resulting in increased bilirubin production. Hemolysis may occur within the circulation (intravascular hemolysis) or primarily in the spleen and liver (extravascular hemolysis) . Causes of Hemolysis Hemolytic disorders are broadly classified as intrinsic (intracorpuscular) or extrinsic (extracorpuscular) . Intrinsic causes involve defects within the red blood cell itself and include: Hereditary spherocytosis (HS): inherited defects of RBC membrane proteins. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency: increased susceptibility to oxidative damage. Sickle cell disease: abnormal hemoglobin (HbS) leading to sickling and premature RBC destruction. Extrinsic causes affect otherwise normal RBCs and include: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA): autoantibodies target RBCs for destruction. I...