Causes of Altered Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility
| Decreased Fragility |
|---|
| Iron-deficiency anemias |
| Hereditary anemias (sickle cell, hemoglobin C, thalassemias) |
| Liver diseases |
| Polycythemia vera |
| Splenectomy |
| Obstructive jaundice |
| Increased Fragility |
|---|
| Hereditary spherocytosis |
| Hemolytic anemias |
| Autoimmune anemias |
| Burns |
| Toxins (bacterial, chemical) |
| Hypotonic infusions |
| Transfusion with incompatible blood |
| Mechanical trauma to RBCs (prosthetic heart valves, disseminated intravascular clotting, parasites) |
| Enzyme deficiencies (PK kinase, G-6-PD) |