Objectives: To determine whether the values of mean cell volume (MCV) and mean sphered cell volume (MSCV) can distinguish hereditary spherocytosis (HS) from thalassemia.
Methods: The MCV, MSCV, and other erythrocyte indexes were measured in totally 263 people, 57 HS patients, 109 thalassemia patients, and 107 normal control subjects. All indexes were derived from measurements obtained by the Beckman-Coulter LH 750 Hematology Analyzer.
Results: The MSCV was significantly lower in the HS group compared with the thalassemia group (P < 0.001), but the MCV was significantly higher in the HS group compared with the thalassemia group (P < 0.001). Among 57 patients with HS, the MCV was higher than the MSCV in 56 patients. The MCV was lower than the MSCV in one patient combined with β-thalassemia. In the control and thalassemia groups, the MCV was lower than the MSCV.
Conclusion: Measurements of the MCV higher than the MSCV can be considered an ideal index to distinguish rapidly HS from thalassemia.
Keywords: Haemolytic anaemia; Hereditary spherocytosis; Mean cell volume; Mean sphered cell volume; Thalassemia.