Reticulocyte count

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Reticulocytes

The normal range depends on the level of hemoglobin, and the range is higher if there is low hemoglobin due to bleeding or red cell destruction.

A higher-than-normal percentage of reticulocytes may indicate:

• Bleeding
• Erythroblastosis fetalis
• Hemolytic anemia
• Kidney disease with increased erythropoietin production

A lower-than-normal percentage of reticulocytes may indicate:

• Bone marrow failure (for example, from drug toxicity, tumor, or infection)
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Folate deficiency
• Iron deficiency
• Kidney disease with decreased erythropoietin production
• Radiation therapy
• Vitamin B-12 deficiency

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Anemia of chronic disease
• Congenital spherocytic anemia
• Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
• Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
• Idiopathic aplastic anemia
• Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Immune hemolytic anemia
• Pernicious anemia
• Secondary aplastic anemia

Review Date: 02/13/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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