Iron Deficiency and Dyserythropoiesis

Summary. In 10 patients with Fe deficiency significant dyserythropoiesis was found. The degree of dyserythropoiesis provided a reliable indication of the severity of the iron deficiency as measured by the serum iron and total iron binding capacity; a positive correlation (P < 0.002.) being found between the % incidence of dyserythropoiesis in the bone marrow and both the serum iron and % iron saturation. The frequent occurrence of basophilic stippling in the erythroblasts of these patients suggested that the presence or absence of stippling does not help differentiate between iron deficiency and other causes of hypochromic anaemia.