34 Iron Studies
Michelle To and Valentin Villatoro
Images of iron stained bone marrow particle smears showing various amounts of iron stores (indicated by the amount of blue present). Perls Prussian Blue. From MLS Collection, University of Alberta.
Image 1: 10x magnification. Low iron stores. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3NC5ST92
Image 2: 10x magnification. Normal iron stores. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3XP6VK0C
Image 3: 10x magnification. High iron stores. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3ZP3WG13
Table 1. Iron studies of hypochromic and microcytic anemias.1-3
| Anemia | Serum Iron | Ferritin | Transferrin | Transferrin Saturation | TIBC | BM Iron stores |
| IDA | D | D | I | D | I | Absent/D |
| Thalassemia Minor | N/I | N/I | N/I | N/I | N | N/I |
| Anemia of Chronic Inflammation | D | I | N | N/D | D | I |
| Sideroblastic Anemia | I | I | N/D | I | N/D | I |
|
N = Normal I = Increased D = Decreased |
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References:
1. McKenzie SB. Anemias of disordered iron metabolism and heme synthesis. In: Clinical laboratory hematology. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson; 2015. p. 198-230.
2. Doig K. Disorders of iron kinetics and heme metabolism. In: Rodak’s hematology clinical applications and principles. 5th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders; 2015. p. 297-313.
3. Finnegan K. Iron metabolism and hypochromic anemias. In: Clinical hematology and fundamentals of hemostasis. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company; 2009. p. 117-37.
