№ 2Hematology14 min read

Megaloblastic anemia

1. Big picture

Megaloblastic anemia is the classic macrocytic anemia caused by defective DNA synthesis. The examiner wants you to recognize this pattern:

fatigue + pallor + MCV >100 fL + hypersegmented neutrophils ± glossitis ± neurological symptoms → think vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.

The key clinical danger is missing vitamin B12 deficiency, because folic acid can improve the anemia while allowing irreversible neurological damage to progress.

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