Megaloblastic anemia in the elderly

Megaloblastic anemia is anemia caused by a deficiency in nuclear DNA synthesis caused by a deficiency of folic acid and / or vitamin B12 or other reasons. Its characteristic is that the bone marrow presents a typical ldquo; giant juvenile change rdquo ;. Disturbance of nuclear development, slowed cell division, and asynchronous development of cytoplasm, that is, cell growth and division are imbalanced. The increase in cell volume presents macroscopic changes with abnormal morphology and function. Such changes can involve red blood cells, granulocytes, and megakaryocytes, and the cells are destroyed in the bone marrow before they mature to become ineffective. In addition to hematopoietic cells, there are similar changes in faster-renewing cells, such as gastrointestinal epithelial cells, so it is often clinically manifested as reduced whole blood cells and accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms. When vitamin B12 deficiency, in addition to the above manifestations, the nervous system and medulla are often changed, and neurological symptoms can occur. According to the epidemiological investigation of this disease, Western-born megaloblastic anemia is dominated by vitamin B12 deficiency. In China, megaloblastic anemia is dominated by folic acid deficiency. May be related to nutritional conditions, diet and cooking habits. In addition to the main manifestations of this disease, neurological symptoms are obvious, mainly peripheral neuropathy. However, a small number of people experience mental changes, mental retardation, and loss of orientation, known as "giant juvenile dementia." The treatment method is to use vitamin B12 first and then add folic acid.

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