Diagnosis of Microcytic Anemia
| Tests | Iron Deficiency | Inflammation | Thalassemia | Sideroblastic Anemia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smear | Micro/hypo | Normal micro/hypo | Micro/hypo with targeting | Variable |
| SI | <30 | <50 | Normal to high | Normal to high |
| TIBC | >360 | <300 | Normal | Normal |
| Percent saturation | <10 | 10-20 | 30-80 | 30-80 |
| Ferritin (µg/L) | <15 | 30-200 | 50-300 | 50-300 |
| Hemoglobin pattern on electrophoresis | Normal | Normal | Abnormal with β thalassemia; can be normal with α thalassemia | Normal |
Abbreviations: SI, serum iron; TIBC, total iron-binding capacity.