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  1. <Medical Topics
    Hematology
    Approach to the Patient With Anemia
    • Red Blood Cell Production
      • Reference
    • Etiology of Anemia
    • Evaluation of Anemia
      • History
        • Risk factors for anemia
        • Symptoms of anemia
        • Symptoms that suggest the cause of anemia
      • Physical Examination
      • Testing
        • Complete blood count and RBC indices
        • Peripheral smear
        • Reticulocyte count
        • Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
        • Other tests for evaluation of anemia
    • Treatment of Anemia
    Amyloidosis
    • Amyloidosis
      • Etiology
        • AL amyloidosis
        • Hereditary amyloidosis
        • ATTRwt amyloidosis
        • AA amyloidosis
        • Localized amyloidosis
        • Etiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Biopsy
        • Amyloid typing
        • Organ involvement
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Supportive care
        • AL amyloidosis
        • ATTRv (hereditary) amyloidosis
        • ATTRwt amyloidosis
        • AA amyloidosis
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis reference
      • Key Points
    Anemias Caused by Deficient Erythropoiesis
    • Pure Red Blood Cell Aplasia
      • Etiology
      • Symptoms
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    • Overview of Decreased Erythropoiesis
    • Iron Deficiency Anemia
      • Pathophysiology
        • Iron absorption
        • Iron transport and usage
        • Iron storage and recycling
        • Iron deficiency
        • Pathophysiology references
      • Etiology
      • Etiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Stages of iron deficiency
        • Differentiation from other microcytic anemias
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Sideroblastic Anemias
      • Acquired sideroblastic anemia
      • Congenital sideroblastic anemia
      • General reference
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Anemia of Chronic Disease
      • Etiology
      • Etiology reference
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    • Anemia of Renal Disease
      • General reference
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    • Aplastic Anemia
      • Etiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Myelophthisic Anemia
      • Etiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    • Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias
      • Nonmegaloblastic macrocytosis
      • Etiology
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    • Myelodysplasia and Iron-Transport Deficiency Anemia
      • Anemia in myelodysplastic syndrome
      • Iron-transport deficiency anemia
      • References
    Anemias Caused by Hemolysis
    • Overview of Hemoglobinopathies
    • Overview of Hemolytic Anemia
      • Etiology
        • Disorders extrinsic to the red blood cell
        • Intrinsic red blood cell abnormalities
      • Pathophysiology
        • Normal red blood cell processing
        • Extravascular hemolysis
        • Intravascular hemolysis
        • Consequences of hemolysis
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
    • Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
      • Etiology
        • Warm antibody hemolytic anemia
        • Cold agglutinin disease
        • Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
      • Symptoms and Signs
        • Symptoms and signs references
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Warm antibody hemolytic anemias
        • Cold agglutinin disease
        • Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
      • General reference
      • Etiology
      • Pathophysiology
        • Pathophysiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia
      • General reference
      • Thrombotic Microangiopathy
      • Thrombotic microangiopathy references
    • Hereditary Spherocytosis and Hereditary Elliptocytosis
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
    • Stomatocytosis and Anemia Caused by Hypophosphatemia
      • Stomatocytosis
      • Anemia caused by hypophosphatemia
      • Reference
    • Glycolytic Pathway Defects
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
    • Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency
      • References
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    • Sickle Cell Disease
      • General reference
      • Pathophysiology
        • Acute exacerbations
        • Complications
        • Heterozygotes
        • Pathophysiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Prenatal screening
        • Newborn screening
        • Screening and diagnosis of children and adults
        • Evaluation of exacerbations
      • Treatment
        • Antibiotics
        • Analgesics
        • Intravenous hydration
        • Oxygen
        • Transfusion
        • Curative treatments
        • Health maintenance
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis references
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Hemoglobin C Disease
    • Hemoglobin S-C Disease
    • Hemoglobin E Disease
    • Thalassemias
      • Pathophysiology
        • Alpha-thalassemia
        • Beta-thalassemia
      • Symptoms and Signs
        • Alpha-thalassemia
        • Beta-thalassemia
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
      • Prognosis
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Hemoglobin S–Beta-Thalassemia Disease
    Bleeding Due to Abnormal Blood Vessels
    • Overview of Vascular Bleeding Disorders
    • Dysproteinemias Causing Vascular Purpura
      • Amyloidosis
      • Cryoglobulinemia
      • Hypergammaglobulinemic purpura
      • Immunoglobulin A–associated vasculitis
      • Hyperviscosity syndrome
    • Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
      • General reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Screening
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Purpura Simplex
    • Senile Purpura
    Coagulation Disorders
    • Overview of Coagulation Disorders
      • Testing
        • Normal results
        • Thrombocytopenia
        • Prolonged PTT with normal platelets and PT
        • Prolonged PT with normal platelets and PTT
        • Prolonged PT and PTT with thrombocytopenia
        • Prolonged PT or PTT with normal platelet count
    • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
      • Etiology
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Slowly evolving DIC
        • Rapidly evolving DIC
      • Treatment
        • Severe bleeding
        • Slowly evolving DIC
        • Treatment reference
      • Key Points
    • Hemophilia
      • Etiology
      • Pathophysiology
        • Pathophysiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Prevention
      • Key Points
    • Coagulation Disorders Caused by Circulating Anticoagulants
      • Factor VIII and Factor IX Inhibitors
        • General references
        • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    • Uncommon Hereditary Coagulation Disorders
      • Factor XI deficiency
      • Deficiency of alpha 2-antiplasmin
      • Reference
    Eosinophilic Disorders
    • Eosinophil Production and Function
      • Eosinophil production and function
      • Eosinophil count
    • Eosinophilia
      • Etiology
        • Etiology references
      • Evaluation
        • History
        • Physical examination
        • Testing
        • Evaluation references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    • Hypereosinophilic Syndrome
      • Clonal hypereosinophilic syndromes
      • General references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Immediate therapy
        • Definitive therapy
        • Supportive care
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
      • Key Points
    Hemostasis
    • Overview of Hemostasis
      • Vascular Factors of Hemostasis
      • Platelets
      • Plasma Coagulation Factors
      • Regulation of Coagulation
        • Inactivation of coagulation factors
        • Fibrinolysis
        • Regulation of fibrinolysis
    • Excessive Bleeding
      • Etiology
      • Evaluation
        • History
        • Physical examination
        • Red flags
        • Interpretation of findings
        • Testing
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    Histiocytic Syndromes
    • Juvenile Xanthogranuloma
    • Overview of Histiocytic Disorders
      • General references
    • Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
      • General references
      • Symptoms and Signs
        • Eosinophilic granuloma (single-system disease)
        • Congenital self-healing reticulohistiocytosis (single-system disease)
        • Multisystem disease without risk-organ involvement (Hand-Schüller-Christian disease)
        • Multisystem disease with risk-organ involvement (Letterer-Siwe disease)
        • Symptoms and signs references
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis references
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Rosai-Dorfman Disease
      • References
    Iron Overload
    • Overview of Iron Overload
      • References
    • Hemosiderosis
    • Hereditary Hemochromatosis
      • Etiology
        • Type 1 hereditary hemochromatosis
        • Type 2 hereditary hemochromatosis (juvenile hemochromatosis)
        • Type 3 hereditary hemochromatosis (transferrin receptor 2 [TFR2] mutation hemochromatosis)
        • Type 4 hereditary hemochromatosis (ferroportin disease)
        • Transferrin deficiency (hypotransferrinemia or atransferrinemia) and ceruloplasmin deficiency (aceruloplasminemia)
        • Etiology references
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
      • Key Points
    • Secondary Iron Overload
      • Etiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    Leukopenias
    • Monocytopenia
      • Monocytopenia due to GATA2 mutation
      • Monocytopenia reference
    • Overview of Leukopenias
    • Neutropenia
      • Etiology
        • Neutropenia caused by intrinsic defects in myeloid cells or their precursors
        • Secondary neutropenia
        • Etiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Evaluation for infection
        • Identification of cause
      • Treatment
        • Acute neutropenia
        • Chronic neutropenia
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Lymphocytopenia
      • Etiology
        • Acquired lymphocytopenia
        • Inherited lymphocytopenia
        • Etiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    Myeloproliferative Disorders
    • Reactive Thrombocytosis (Secondary Thrombocythemia)
    • Secondary Erythrocytosis
      • Etiology
        • Etiology reference
      • Evaluation
      • Treatment
    • Overview of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
      • More Information
    • Essential Thrombocythemia
      • Etiology
        • Etiology reference
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Low-dose aspirin
        • Platelet lowering medications
        • Other interventions
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis reference
      • Key Points
    • Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF)
      • Pathophysiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis references
      • Key Points
    • Polycythemia Vera
      • General references
      • Pathophysiology
        • Genetic basis
        • Complications
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Phlebotomy
        • Aspirin
        • Myelosuppressive therapy
        • Treatment of complications
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis references
      • Key Points
    Plasma Cell Disorders
    • Overview of Plasma Cell Disorders
      • Pathophysiology
      • Diagnosis
    • Heavy Chain Diseases
      • IgA Heavy Chain Disease (alpha chain disease)
      • IgG Heavy Chain Disease (Gamma Chain Disease)
      • IgM Heavy Chain Disease (mu chain disease)
    • Macroglobulinemia
      • General reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    • Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)
      • References
    • Multiple Myeloma
      • General references
      • Pathophysiology
        • Pathophysiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment of malignant cells
        • Treatment of relapsed or refractory myeloma
        • Maintenance therapy
        • Treatment of complications
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis reference
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    Spleen Disorders
    • Hypersplenism
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
    • Overview of the Spleen
      • Asplenia
      • General reference
    • Splenomegaly
      • Evaluation
        • History
        • Physical examination
        • Testing
      • Treatment
      • Key Points
    The Porphyrias
    • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
      • Pathophysiology
        • Pseudoporphyria
        • Pathophysiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Prevention
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Erythropoietic Protoporphyria and X-linked Protoporphyria
      • Etiology
        • Etiology references
      • Symptoms and Signs
        • Symptoms and signs reference
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Overview of Porphyrias
      • Etiology
        • Etiology references
      • Pathophysiology
      • Diagnosis
      • Secondary Porphyrinuria
        • Secondary porphyrinuria references
    • Acute Porphyrias
      • Precipitating Factors
      • Symptoms and Signs
        • The acute porphyric attack
        • Subacute and chronic symptoms
        • Skin symptoms in variegate porphyria and hereditary coproporphyria
        • Late complications of acute porphyrias
        • Symptoms and signs references
      • Diagnosis
        • Acute attack
        • Determination of acute porphyria type
        • Family studies in acute porphyrias
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Recurrent attacks
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
      • Prevention
        • Recurrent or predictable attacks
        • Prevention references
      • Key Points
      • More Information
    • Overview of Cutaneous Porphyrias
    Thrombocytopenia and Platelet Dysfunction
    • Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
      • Pathophysiology
      • Etiology
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis of cause
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
      • Key Points
    • Von Willebrand Disease
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
      • Key Points
    • Overview of Platelet Disorders
      • Etiology
        • Thrombocythemia and thrombocytosis
        • Thrombocytopenia
        • Platelet dysfunction
        • Etiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Thrombocytopenia
        • Suspected platelet dysfunction
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
    • Acquired Platelet Dysfunction
      • Medications
      • Systemic disorders
      • Cardiopulmonary bypass
      • References
    • Inherited Platelet Function Disorders
      • Disorders of platelet adhesion
      • Disorders of platelet activation
    • Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
      • General references
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Second-line medical therapies
        • Life-threatening bleeding in ITP
        • Treatment of children with ITP
        • Treatment references
      • Prognosis
        • Prognosis reference
      • Key Points
    • Thrombocytopenia Due to Splenic Sequestration
      • Reference
    • Thrombocytopenia: Other Causes
      • Acute respiratory distress syndrome
      • Blood transfusions
      • Systemic rheumatic and lymphoproliferative disorders
      • Medication-induced platelet destruction
      • Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
      • Infections
      • Pregnancy
      • Sepsis
      • Reference
    • Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)
      • Pathophysiology
      • Etiology
        • Etiology reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis reference
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
      • Key Points
    Thrombotic Disorders
    • Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
      • Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome
      • General references
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    • Antithrombin Deficiency
      • General reference
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    • Hyperhomocysteinemia
      • General references
      • Treatment
    • Factor V Resistance to Activated Protein C (APC)
      • General references
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
    • Protein C Deficiency
      • General references
      • Treatment
      • Treatment references
    • Protein S Deficiency
      • Treatment
    • Protein Z Deficiency
    • Prothrombin (Factor II) 20210 Gene Mutation
      • Reference
      • Treatment
    • Elevated Factor VIII, IX, and XI Levels
      • General references
      • Diagnosis
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment reference
    • Overview of Thrombotic Disorders
      • Etiology
        • General reference
      • Symptoms and Signs
      • Diagnosis
        • Predisposing factors
        • Diagnosis references
      • Treatment
        • Treatment references
    Transfusion Medicine
    • Blood Collection
      • General reference
      • Pretransfusion Testing
        • ABO and Rh typing
        • Antibody screening
        • Infectious disease testing
      • More Information
    • Blood Products
      • Red blood cells (RBCs)
      • Fresh frozen plasma
      • Cryoprecipitate
      • White blood cells (WBCs)
      • Immune globulins
      • Platelets
      • Other products
      • References
    • Technique of Transfusion
    • Complications of Transfusion
      • Febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reaction
      • Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction (AHTR)
      • Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
      • Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO)
      • Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI)
      • Allergic reactions
      • Altered oxygen affinity
      • Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction
      • Infectious complications
      • Post-transfusion purpura
      • Complications of massive transfusion
      • References
    • Therapeutic Apheresis
      • Plasmapheresis
        • Plasma exchange
      • Cytapheresis
        • Therapeutic cytapheresis
        • Reference
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