Thalassaemia in families of Indian origin
Raper, A.B.
East African Medical Journal 35(4): 161-170
1958
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 13548065 Document Number: 10020
The Indian population of East Africa must be regarded as one in which thalassaemia (Mediterranean anaemia) is by no means rare. During the last few years, amongst less than a hundred hwmatological examinations of Indians, conducted in such a way that thalassaemia might be detected, I have come across nine families affected by the disease. This, of course, gives no measure of its frequency, for in six of the families advice was sought because of severe anaemia in a child; but it means that thalassmmia contributes quite considerably to the anaemias met with in Indian children. There are now many excellent accounts of the clinical features, the genetics, and the pathological physiology of the disease, especially from Italy and the United States. These will be summarised briefly below, but the practitioner who sees thalassaemia families will notice that in some respects the accepted descriptions do not correspond with the disease as he sees it. These discrepancies will be commented upon, and an attempt will be made to explain them and to illustrate other practical points in the assessment of cases of thalassaemia
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