Abstract
Megloblastic anemia is uncommon in pediatric age group. It is most commonly due to vitamin deficiencies or gastrointestinal disorders. Megaloblastic anemia due to Dietary vitamin B-12 deficiency in infants is very rare but may be seen in breastfed infants whose mothers are B-12 deficient. Sometimes absence of carrier protein, transcobalamin, may present with megaloblastic anemia in early infancy. These infants if not treated promptly may develop myelopathy and developmental delay. Other children may sometimes present with bleeding diathesis secondary to qualitative and quantitative defects of platelets and sometimes pancytopenia. We present here a case of 8 year old girl who presented to us solely with ecchymosis and subcutaneous haematomas. Her blood picture showed bicytopenia with high MCV pointing towards the diagnosis of Megaloblastic Anemia. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. She was given intramuscular methylcobalamine for 2 weeks followed by oral methylcobalamine and folic acid.
Keywords: Megaloblastic Anemia, Bleeding Diathesis, Bone Marrow Biopsy, Methylcobalamin & Folic acid.
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Corresponding Author
Dr Sushant Mane
1205, Horizon Gokhale Road North
Opposite Shushrusha Hospital, Dadar (West), Mumbai – 28
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i3.32
