Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin

Dharmesh Chandra Sharma1, Sachin Singhal2, Poonam Woike3

  • 1Department of Pathology, Blood Bank, Component and Aphaeresis Unit, G. R. Medical College, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is a benign condition in which significant fetal hemoglobin production continues well into adulthood, disregarding the normal shutoff point after which only adult-type hemoglobin should be produced. The percentage of incorrect expression might be as low as 10%-15% or as high as 100% of the total hemoglobin, usually higher in homozygotes than in heterozygotes. The present case is a typical example of homozygous HPFH.