A Cross-Sectional Study for the Spectrum of Clinical Diagnosis in Patients Presenting With Macrocytosis.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-center cross-sectional descriptive study without a control group
PubMed 38524035 · doi:10.7759/cureus.54702
What was done
This cross-sectional study evaluated 105 patients presenting with macrocytosis (mean corpuscular volume > 100 fL) at Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to June 2023. Participants underwent diagnostic workup including complete blood counts, peripheral blood film, serum vitamin B12 levels, serum folate levels, renal function tests, liver function tests, and thyroid function tests.
What was found
The commonest cause of macrocytosis was vitamin B12 deficiency, followed by folate deficiency, combined vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, and other causes in a few cases. The abstract reports no numerical values, percentages, or frequencies for these findings.
Why it matters
The study identifies preventable nutritional deficiencies as the leading causes of macrocytosis in this patient cohort.
Limits
The study is a single-center cross-sectional investigation with a modest sample size (n = 105) and no control group. The abstract provides no quantitative data, prevalence figures, or specific inclusion and exclusion criteria details.
Cited by
- supports Red blood cell MCV reference range is typically 80 to 100 fL, and elevations can indicate B12 deficiency.