[Aregenerative anemia and erythrocytes hemighosts: a case report]

An 11 year old African boy without previous history was hospitalised for fever and a severe anaemia (haemoglobin = 55 g/L) with low reticulocyte count. Blood smear showed more than 35% of ghost red blood cells which allows the diagnosis of G6PD deficiency (< 1% of normal level). Anaemia was demonstrated as haemolytic and was associated with a drepanocytosis trait. Aspect of red blood cells on blood smear remains important for the diagnosis of congenital or acquired red blood cell diseases, even abnormalities are often of low specificity.