BACKGROUND Megaloblastic anemia (MBA), also known as macrocytic anemia, is a type of anemia characterized by decreased number of RBCs as well as the presence of unusually large, abnormal and poorly developed erythrocytes (megaloblasts), which fail to enter blood circulation due to their larger size. Lack of vitamin-B12 (VB12) and / or folate (Vitamin-B9, VB9) with elevated homocysteine is the k...

B12 deficiency is the leading cause of megaloblastic anemia, and although more common in the elderly, can occur at any age. Clinical disease caused by B12 deficiency usually connotes severe deficiency, resulting from a failure of the gastric or ileal phase of physiological B12 absorption, best exemplified by the autoimmune disease pernicious anemia. There are many other causes of B12 deficiency...

Objectives: To find out the frequency of the different causes of Pancytopenia and also to specifically detect the percentage of vitamin B12 deficieny amongst these patients. Methodology: It is a prospective study carried out in Medical Unit I (Ward 5) of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi from March to August 2007. A total of 88 patients were included after a detailed history and examin...

We wish to report a totally gastrectomized type II diabetic patient, a 67-year-old woman, who developed megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B 12 deficiency precipitated by the introduction of metformin therapy. She was diagnosed with type II diabetes at the age of 50, and glibenclamide administration was started. At the age of 60, she received a total gastrectomy because of gastric cancer. Foll...

A nine years old boy presented with history of pallor and anaemia since early infancy along with neural hearing loss responding to empirical multivitamin and folic acid therapy started on basis of blood complete picture showing anaemia and megaloblastic anaemia. On investigation he was diagnosed with Thiamine Responsive Megaloblastic Anaemia, a very rare condition in our settings.