Essentials – Megaloblastic Anemia
Megaloblast. Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day.
The root -blast comes from the Greek blastos, meaning “germ” or “bud,” and is familiar from terms like blast cells—very young hematopoietic precursor cells. Megalo- comes from the Greek megas, meaning “large” or “great,” as in splenomegaly. So is a megaloblast simply a large, immature cell?
Not quite.
In this episode, we break down megaloblastic anemia: why it develops, what vitamin B12 and folate have to do with it, what you’ll see on a CBC and peripheral smear, and how to recognize and treat the underlying problem.
After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:
- Explain the pathogenesis of megaloblastic anemia.
- Identify common causes of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency and distinguish their associated nonhematologic findings.
- Recognize the characteristic complete blood count findings seen in megaloblastic anemia.
- Describe and identify the characteristic morphologic changes in the peripheral blood and bone marrow.
- Explain the principles of treatment for megaloblastic anemia.
You can also explore the original Megaloblastic Anemia Brick from our Hematology collection, available free here:
https://usmle-rx.scholarrx.com/rx-bricks/brick/CP_HEM0022
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