Acute hemolytic anemia with acanthocytosis associated with high-dose misoprostol for medical abortion.

Ann Emerg Med

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Published: September 2007

AI Article Synopsis

  • A 21-year-old Nigerian woman developed acute hemolytic anemia after taking a high dose (4 mg) of misoprostol for a medical abortion, with common causes of hemolytic anemia ruled out.
  • Blood tests showed abnormal red blood cell (RBC) shapes and contents, indicating that misoprostol might directly impact RBC function.
  • The condition seems to resolve on its own once misoprostol is stopped, highlighting the need for more research on how this medication affects blood cells.

Article Abstract

We report a case of acute hemolytic anemia in a 21-year-old Nigerian woman after high-dose misoprostol (4 mg), used for medical abortion. The major causes of inherited or immune hemolytic anemia were excluded. The patient's peripheral blood smear showed acanthocytes and anisopoikilocytosis, which progressively disappeared in the days postingestion. We evaluated RBC features, and we observed reduced RBC Na+ and K+ content and abnormalities in membrane cation transport pathways and in Ca2+ activated K+ channel (Gardos channel), suggesting possible direct effects of misoprostol on RBCs. Although further studies need to be carried out, the present case suggests that high-dose misoprostol, a prostaglandin E1 analogue, severely affects RBC features and causes an acquired acute hemolytic anemia, which is self-limited when misoprostol is withdrawn.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.09.001DOI Listing

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