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Dietary folate deficiency with normal red cell folate and circulating blasts
  1. G L Stark,
  2. P J Hamilton
  1. Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr G L Stark, Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK; 
 g.l.stark{at}ncl.ac.uk

Abstract

This report describes a 26 year old woman, of Pakistani origin, who presented five months postpartum with severe megaloblastic anaemia as a result of nutritional folate deficiency. This case was unusual in that a small number of myeloblasts were present in the peripheral blood at presentation, and this circulating population temporarily increased in size when folate replacement was begun. We also highlight the need to recognise the non-linear relation between haematocrit and red blood cell folate concentration when the haematocrit is very low (< 0.15) and emphasise the importance of the clinical history.

  • assay
  • deficiency
  • folate
  • megaloblastic anaemia
  • Hb, haemoglobin
  • LDH, lactate dehydrogenase
  • MCV, mean cell volume
  • RCF, red blood cell folate
  • WBC, white blood cell count

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