| This peripheral blood smear shows marked poikilocytosis (abnormally shaped RBC's) as well as some anisocytosis (variation in RBC size), though many are small (microcytes). This patient has beta-thalassemia, a hereditary disorder of beta globin chain synthesis that leads to ineffective erythropoiesis and a microcytic anemia. Some of these abnormally shaped RBC's resemble jigsaw puzzle pieces. |
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