Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that affects the production of normal
hemoglobin (a type of protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to
the tissues in the body). Thalassemia includes a number of different forms
of anemia. The severity and type of anemia depends upon the number of
genes that are affected.
This disorder is common in populations around the Mediterranean Sea,
Africa, and Southeast Asia. The presenting signs and symptoms of all forms
of thalassemia is anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells) in varying
degrees from mild to severe.
Listed in the directory below, you will find additional information
regarding two different types of thalassemia, for which we have provided a
brief overview.
If you cannot find the condition in which you are interested, please
visit the Hematology and Blood Disorders Online
Resources page in this Web site for an Internet/World Wide Web address
that may contain additional information on that topic.
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