Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency

Alternative names:

anemia - hemolytic due to G6PD deficiency; G-6-PD deficiency; hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency

Symptoms:

• fatigue
• pale color
• shortness of breath
• rapid heart rate
• yellow skin color (jaundice)
• dark urine
• enlarged spleen

Note: Severe hemolysis may cause hemoglobinuria.

Signs and tests:

• anemia
• hemolysis
• reduced G-6-PD activity
• reticulocytosis following a hemolytic crisis

Tests include:

• elevated bilirubin levels
• low serum haptoglobin
• hemoglobin in the urine
• elevated absolute reticulocyte count
• low red blood cell count and hemoglobin
• Heinz bodies present on examination of the peripheral blood smear using special stains
• methylene blue test
• methemoglobin reduction test