FACTOID # 6: Clipperton Island wins our prize for the most unusual looking country.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

Encyclopedia > Pernicious anemia
Pernicious anemia
Classification & external resources
ICD-10 D51.0
ICD-9 281.0
DiseasesDB 9870
MedlinePlus 000569
eMedicine med/1799 
MeSH D000752

Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer's anaemia or Addison's anaemia or Addison-Biermer anaemia) is a form of megaloblastic anaemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency dependent on impaired absorption of vitamin B12 in the setting of atrophic gastritis, and more specifically of loss of gastric parietal cells. While the term "pernicious anaemia" is sometimes also incorrectly used to indicate megaloblastic anaemia due to any cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, its proper usage refers to that caused by atrophic gastritis and parietal cell loss only. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) is a coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). ... // C00-D48 - Neoplasms (C00-C14) Malignant neoplasms, lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00) Malignant neoplasm of lip (C01) Malignant neoplasm of base of tongue (C02) Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of tongue (C03) Malignant neoplasm of gum (C04) Malignant neoplasm of floor of mouth (C05) Malignant neoplasm of... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Disease Bold textDatabase is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... MedlinePlus (medlineplus. ... eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... Megaloblastic anemia is anemia resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ... Atrophic gastritis is a process of chronic inflammation of the stomach mucosa, leading to loss of gastric glandular cells and their eventual replacement by intestinal and fibrous tissues. ... In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. ... Parietal cells (also called oxyntic cells) are cells located in the stomach epithelium. ... Megaloblastic anemia is anemia resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ...

Contents

Mechanisms & manifestations

Pathophysiology

Vitamin B12 cannot be produced by the human body, and must therefore be obtained from diet. Normally, dietary vitamin B12 can only be absorbed by the ileum when it is bound by the intrinsic factor produced by parietal cells of the gastric mucosa. In pernicious anaemia, this process is impaired because of loss of parietal cells, resulting in insufficient absorption of the vitamin, which over a prolonged period of time ultimately leads to vitamin B12 deficiency and thus megaloblastic anaemia. Grays Fig. ... Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach. ... Parietal cells (also called oxyntic cells) are cells located in the stomach epithelium. ... In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. ... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ...


Presentation

Main article: anaemia
Main article: vitamin B12

The presentation of pernicious anaemia resembles that of any other form of anaemia, but is often accompanied by the manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency (notably neurological abnormalities such as peripheral neuropathy), as well as by other manifestations of autoimmune atrophic gastritis. This article discusses the medical condition. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ... Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness. ...


Causes

Most commonly, the cause for impaired binding of vitamin B12 by intrinsic factor is autoimmune atrophic gastritis, in which autoantibodies are directed against parietal cells (resulting in their loss) as well as againast the intrinsic factor itself (rendering it unable to bind vitamin B12). Less frequently, loss of parietal cells may simply be part of a widespread atrophic gastritis of non-autoimmune origin, such as that frequently occurring in elderly people affected with long-standing chronic gastritis of any cause (including Helicobacter pylori infection). Note that forms of vitamin B12 deficiency other than pernicious anaemia must be considered in the differential diagnosis of megaloblastic anaemia. Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. ... Atrophic gastritis is a process of chronic inflammation of the stomach mucosa, leading to loss of gastric glandular cells and their eventual replacement by intestinal and fibrous tissues. ... An autoantibody is an antibody (a type of protein) manufactured by the immune system that is directed against one or more of the individuals own proteins. ... Parietal cells (also called oxyntic cells) are cells located in the stomach epithelium. ... Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach. ... Gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa. ... Binomial name Helicobacter pylori ((Marshall 1985) Goodwin 1989) Helicobacter pylori is a helical shaped Gram-negative bacterium that colonises the mucus layer of gastric epithelium in the stomach, and also the duodenum when it has undergone gastric metaplasia. ... In medicine, differential diagnosis (sometimes abbreviated DDx or ΔΔ) is the systematic method physicians use to identify the disease causing a patients symptoms. ... Megaloblastic anemia is anemia resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. ...


Diagnosis

A diagnosis of pernicious anaemia first requires demonstration of megaloblastic anaemia (through a full blood count) and of its direct cause, vitamin B12 deficiency (by measuring B12 levels in serum). A Schillings test can then be used to distinguish pernicious anemia from other causes of vitamin B12 deficiency (notably malabsorption. A diagnosis of atrophic gastritis should be confirmed by gastroscopy with biopsies. Approximately 90% of individuals with pernicious anemia have antibodies for parietal cells, however only 50% of individuals with these antibodies have pernicious anaemia. Megaloblastic anemia is anemia resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. ... A full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patients blood. ... A Schilling test is a test used to assess a patients capacity to absorb vitamin B12 from the bowel. ... Malabsorption is the state of impaired absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. ... Atrophic gastritis is a process of chronic inflammation of the stomach mucosa, leading to loss of gastric glandular cells and their eventual replacement by intestinal and fibrous tissues. ... In medicine (gastroenterology), esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or upper endoscopy is a diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualises the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. ... Brain biopsy A biopsy (in Greek: bios = life and opsy = look/appearance) is a medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues for examination. ...


Treatment

Main article: Vitamin B12

Being a manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency, pernicious anaemia is treated by administering vitamin B12 supplements. Note that if oral tablets are chosen for this purposes, much higher doses are given than normally required in order to overcome the impaired absorption that characterises pernicious anaemia. If oral tablets are not sufficient, vitamin B12 can also be administered via injection. Often the patient can learn to do this at home. Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ... An injection is a method of putting liquid into the body with a hollow needle and a syringe which is pierced through the skin long enough for the material to be forced into the body. ...


History

The treatment for pernicious anemia was first devised by George Whipple who bled dogs to make them anemic and then fed them various substances to see what (if anything) would make them healthy again. He discovered that ingesting large amounts of liver seemed to cure the disease. George Minot and William Murphy then set about to chemically isolate the curative substance and ultimately were able to isolate the vitamin B12 from the liver. For this, all three shared the 1934 Nobel Prize in Medicine. As a result, pernicious anemia is now treated with either vitamin B12 injections, or large oral doses of vitamin B12, typically between 2 and 4 mg daily. George Hoyt Whipple (August 28, 1878 – February 1, 1976) was an American physician, biomedical researcher, and medical school educator and administrator. ... The liver is an organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. ... George Richards Minot (December 2, 1885 (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) - February 25, 1950) won the 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with William P. Murphy and George H. Whipple for their work in the study of anemia. ... William Murphy may refer to: William Parry Murphy, Nobel prize winner William Beverly Murphy, food businessman William Murphy (bishop), Roman Catholic bishop in Rockville Centre, New York William F. Murphy, Jr. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to the present day. ...


Famous sufferers

Inez Milholland Inez Milholland Boissevain (born August 6, 1886 in Brooklyn, New York - November 25, 1916 in Los Angeles) was a suffragist, labor lawyer, World War I correspondent, and public speaker who greatly impacted the womens movement in America. ... Suffragette with banner, Washington DC, 1918 The title of suffragette (also occasionally spelled suffraget) was given to members of the womens suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. ... Alexander Graham Bell (3 March 1847 – 2 August 1922) was a Scottish scientist, inventor, and innovator. ... Annie Oakley (August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) b. ... (Helen) Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English author and illustrator, botanist, and conservationist, best known for her childrens books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit. ... Yoon, Eun-Hye (Korean: 윤은혜, Hanja: 尹恩惠, born October 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer, and model. ... Madame Curie redirects here. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Pernicious anemia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (475 words)
Pernicious anemia refers to a type of autoimmune anemia.
Pernicious anemia may cause inflammation of the tongue (glossitis).
The treatment for pernicious anemia was first devised by William Murphy who bled dogs to make them anemic and then fed them various substances to see what (if anything) would make them healthy again.
eMedicine - Pernicious Anemia : Article Excerpt by: Marcel E Conrad, MD (612 words)
Pernicious anemia occurs as a relatively common adult form of anemia that is associated with gastric atrophy and a loss of IF production and as a rare congenital autosomal recessive form in which IF production is lacking without gastric atrophy.
Pernicious anemia probably is an autoimmune disorder with a genetic predisposition.
Pernicious anemia is more common than is expected in families of patients with pernicious anemia, and the disease is associated with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) types A2, A3, and B7 and type A blood group.
  More results at FactBites »

 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your location
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.