[Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in malignant tumors. 2 cases]

Two cases of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in disseminated carcinoma are reported. Both showed the classical features of this illness, namely acute generalized hemorrhagic diathesis, severe hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, fragmentation of erythrocytes in the peripheral blood smear, increased erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis or tumor cell invasion in the bone marrow, tumor cell emboli in venules and disseminated intravascular coagulation. In both cases the microangiopathic hemolytic anemia was the first sign of the disseminated carcinoma. Differential diagnosis, pathogenesis and therapy are discussed.