Double Heterozygous For Haemoglobin S and Haemoglobin E

Here we present a Bangladeshi family where out of four family members two (mother and son) inherited both haemoglobin (HbS) S and haemoglobin (HbE) E gene confirming the diagnosis of double heterozygous state for HbS and HbE, presented in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka, Bangladesh on the month of July 2016. Among other two members, one (daughter) inherited HbS and other (father) HbE. Double heterozygous state for HbS and HbE is a rare condition in this subcontinent especially in Bangladesh. HbS is rare but HbE is prevalent in Bangladesh. Co-inheritance of both HbS and HbE is therefore uncommon in this country in comparison to HbE/β - thalassaemia. Though the double heterozygous state for HbS and HbE is rare and the patients are usually asymptomatic but their documentation is important for genetic counseling and to determine the reproductive risk of the family.