Spur-Cell Anemia

Abstract

THE syndrome in the case presented below has been designated "spur-cell anemia" because of the curious projections from the surfaces of the red blood cells. These bizarre erythrocytes were associated with intense hemolytic anemia in a young man with hepatic cirrhosis.Case ReportA 29-year-old male wire splicer of German descent entered the Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital with jaundice of 10 months' duration. For about 10 years he had a heavy alcohol intake and had increased his consumption in the months before the illness. Because of gradual icterus and abdominal swelling for 1 month he had entered another hospital, where . . .