All issues > Volume 38(4); 1995

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(4):557-560. Published online April 15, 1995.

A Case of Familial β-thalassemia Minor

Sung Hak SH Kim¹, Byung Keun BK Han¹, Hyun Tae HT Kim¹, Kyung Ho KH Lee¹, Cheol Hee CH Hwang¹, Moon Ki MK Cho¹, Kyeong Ran KR Choi²

¹Department of Pediatrics, St. Columban Hospital, Mokpo, Korea
²Department of Clinical Pathology, St. Columban Hospital, Mokpo, Korea

Abstract

Thalassemias are a diverse group of inherited anemias that are characterized by defective synthesis of one or more globin chains. The thalassemias are classified according to the globin chain or chains the synthesis of which is deficient : α-, β-, δβ-, δ-, and γδβ- Thalassemia. They are common in the Mediterranean region, The Middle East, India, Burma, and Southeast Asia. Beta-thalassemia minor, the heterozygous state, is most frequently characterized by hypochrmia, microcytosis and an elevated percentage of hemoglobin A2. We experienced a case of a familial β-thalassemia minor in pneumonia patient and his family.

Keywords :β-thalassemia minor