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Query: UMLS:C0039730 (thalassemia)
 10,305 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The spinal cord, brain, optic nerves and peripheral nerves may be affected by vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency. Deficiency of vitamin B12 also causes megaloblastic anaemia, meaning that the red blood cells are usually larger than normal. In this paper we report a 16-year old girl who was referred to us for the evaluation of mild paraparesis and paresthesias marked by tingling "pins and needles" feelings and general weakness. The patient, her parents and sisters were on a strict vegan diet, which made us believe that vitamin B12 deficiency may be the possible cause of the neurologic clinical manifestations. The serum level of vitamin B12 was low, but there was no macrocytosis in the routine blood examination. The electrophoresis of haemoglobin was pathologic, there was 3.7% of HbA2 and 11.6% of HbF (heterozygous form of beta-thalassaemia). When megaloblastic anaemia occurs in combination with a condition that gives rise to microcytic anaemia, many megaloblastic features may be masked. Instead of being macrocytic, the anaemia could be normocytic or even microcytic. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a diagnosis that must not be overlooked. This case report turns the light on the fact that increased MCV is a hallmark in vitamin B12 deficiency, but it is not an obligatory sign.
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PMID:Masked deficit of vitamin B12 in the patient with heterozygous beta-thalassemia and spastic paraparesis. 1574 9

We describe a 14-year-old Japanese girl with beta-thalassemia intermedia who developed moyamoya syndrome after splenectomy. This patient had compound heterozygous mutations of the beta-globin gene and received occasional transfusions. After splenectomy at 12 years of age, she transiently required partial exchange transfusions for leukoerythroblastosis but attained transfusion independence. Two years after the splenectomy, transient ischemic attacks occurred repeatedly with right hemiparesis or left paresthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral stenosis of the internal carotid arteries and dilatation of the perforating branches with the formation of moyamoya vessels but not infarctions. The strict adherence to aspirin and dipyridamole has led to no stroke or progression of the vasculopathy for 8 years. Moyamoya disease has been reported in a patient with beta-thalassemia major. Cerebral vasculopathy can be a rare but grave consequence of the thromboembolic complications in beta-thalassemia major/intermedia. (J Child Neurol 2006;21:75-77).
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PMID:Moyamoya syndrome in a splenectomized patient with beta-thalassemia intermedia. 1655 58

The aim of this paper is to review the literature and identify orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases, with particular reference to anemias and disorders of hemostasis. A computerized literature search using MEDLINE was conducted for published articles on orofacial manifestations of hematological diseases, with emphasis on anemia. Mesh phrases used in the search were: oral diseases AND anaemia; orofacial diseases AND anaemia; orofacial lesions AND anaemia; orofacial manifestations AND disorders of haemostasis. The Boolean operator "AND" was used to combine and narrow the searches. Anemic disorders associated with orofacial signs and symptoms include iron deficiency anemia, Plummer-Vinson syndrome, megaloblastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassaemia and aplastic anemia. The manifestations include conjunctiva and facial pallor, atrophic glossitis, angular stomatitis, dysphagia, magenta tongue, midfacial overgrowth, osteoclerosis, osteomyelitis and paraesthesia/anesthesia of the mental nerve. Orofacial petechiae, conjunctivae hemorrhage, nose-bleeding, spontaneous and post-traumatic gingival hemorrhage and prolonged post-extraction bleeding are common orofacial manifestations of inherited hemostatic disorders such as von Willebrand's disease and hemophilia. A wide array of anemic and hemostatic disorders encountered in internal medicine has manifestations in the oral cavity and the facial region. Most of these manifestations are non-specific, but should alert the hematologist and the dental surgeon to the possibilities of a concurrent disease of hemopoiesis or hemostasis or a latent one that may subsequently manifest itself.
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PMID:Orofacial manifestations of hematological disorders: anemia and hemostatic disorders. 2204 88