MICROCYTIC ANAEMIA
The importance of bone marrow aspiration in
the investigation of microcytic anaemia is often
not appreciated. Misdiagnosis of anaemia of
chronic disease as iron deficiency is common
and it is not infrequent for such patients to be
subjected to an extensive search for a source of
blood loss without a firmly based diagnosis of
iron deficiency. If results of biochemical assays
are equivocal it is important to perform a bone
marrow aspirate to ensure an accurate diagnosis
before embarking on other investigations.