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Anemia and the liver. Hepatobiliary manifestations of anemia

Corwin Q Edwards1

  • 1Division of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Housestaff Program, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, LDS Hospital, 324 10th Avenue, Suite 140, Salt Lake City, UT 84103, USA. ldcedwar@ihc.com

Clinics in Liver Disease
|January 9, 2003
PubMed

Many types of hemolytic anemia may be associated with liver disease. Liver injury can be caused by the adherence of deformed or hemolyzed erythrocyses to hepatic vascular endothelium. Adhesion of large numbers of hemolyzed red blood cells to hepatic macrophages, or occlusion of hepatic sinusoids by fragmented red cells, can also result in injury of the liver. Thrombosis of the hepatic or portal vein is associated with some types of hemolytic anemia, and can cause severe liner injury. These are some examples of hepatic injury that can be caused by hemolytic anemias. This article discusses some aspects of liver disease that is associated with sickle cell anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, hereditary spherocytosis, and HELLP syndrome.

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