Favism: Clinical Features at Different Ages

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Genetics
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Favism is a hemolytic disease triggered by fava bean consumption in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
• Hemolytic crisis severity in favism exhibits significant inter- and intra-individual variability.
• Predisposing factors include fava bean characteristics (quantity, quality, ripeness) and patient age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review predisposing factors and clinical features of favism across different age groups.
• To analyze age-specific manifestations and severity of hemolytic crisis in favism.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of case reports and case series.
• Classification of patients into four age groups: pregnant women/infants, children (weaned to 11 years), preadolescents/adolescents (11-18 years), and adults (18+ years).

Main Results:

• Specific symptoms varied by age: death in infants, visual impairment in children, systolic murmur in younger groups, and renal failure in adults.
• Youngest patients (infants) and pregnant women exhibited the highest severity.
• Common symptoms across all ages included jaundice, elevated bilirubin, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, discolored urine, tachycardia, pallor, abdominal pain, malaise, vomiting, nausea, and dizziness.
• Laboratory findings typically showed anemia, reticulocytosis, elevated bilirubin, and sometimes urinary urobilinogen and methemoglobinemia.

Conclusions:

• Favism clinical presentation and severity are influenced by age.
• While often self-limited, favism can necessitate hospitalization and blood transfusions.
• Understanding age-specific features is crucial for managing favism effectively.