[Late fate of patients with pernicious anemia]

In a retrospective study is reported on 271 cases of pernicious anaemia which were observed for 30 years. 2 groups of patients could be significantly differed. In the first group the disease appears familiarly and/or is combined with a diabetes mellitus or a disease of the thyroid gland. Its manifestation is 7 years earlier than in the 2nd group, in individual cases without genetic relation. In this a heterologous etiology of the pernicious anaemia is to be seen. On principle in therapy was treated only parenterally and relatively small quantities of vitamin B12 were given. In these cases the results were good. Recidivations appeared only quite infrequently. The life expectancy obtained is altogether high, but it is, however, somewhat under the average of a healthy population of the same age. Despite careful control and early operation the gastric carcinoma more frequently appeared as cause of death than in the average population of the same age, whereas all other tumours were more rarely found.