EC Paediatrics

Background: Anemia is a common problem in the neonatal period. Presenting symptoms may suggest numerous possible diagnoses ranging from anemia seen as a normal part of development to anemia due to critical pathology.

Case Presentation: We present the case of newborn girl who was delivered by NSVD full term admitted in NICU on the second day of life by postnatal anemia at the initial examination. She received repeated blood transfusions without approach definite diagnosis this leads to miss-diagnosis and become transfusion dependent that progressed to pancytopenia with reticulocytopenia due to hypersplenism with no signs of hemolysis. This case demonstrates how a poor initial work up leads to miss diagnosis.

Discussion: Early recognition and appropriate interpretation of common symptoms of anemia are challenging for healthcare professionals. Splenomegaly is associated with several abnormalities and anemia which may be lethal if left untreated. Therefore, upon the appearance of the symptoms, it must be treated with a suitable treatment strategy. Splenectomy is an effective treatment option in such cases especially when hypersplenism developed, although further studies are required to evaluate the effects of splenectomy.

 Keywords: Anemia; Hypersplenism; Cytopenia

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