Association between elliptocytosis and hereditary spherocytosis in an elderly patient

Case report

Abstract

Anemia is very prevalent in the elderly; however, hereditary elliptocytosis, an inherited anemia characterized by the presence of elliptical erythrocytes in the peripheral blood; rarely causes symptomatic anemia in elderly patients. Spherocytic elliptocytosis is an inherited anemia with an autosomal dominant character. The association between these two hereditary erythroenzyopathies is rare and its course varies with alterations of the erythrocyte form, observing the simultaneous presence of elliptocytosis and spherocytosis in the peripheral blood. Hemolysis can range from medium to moderate intensity. We report the case of a patient with spherocytic elliptocytosis revealed after 26 years, and splenectomy was performed to resolve the hemolysis.