Morita M, Hashizume M, Kanematsu T, Sugimachi K, Makizumi K
Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Surg Today. 1993;23(5):458-61. doi: 10.1007/BF00309507.
We report herein a case of 62-year-old woman with hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Although her history revealed jaundice in the early neonatal period, she had never undergone a physical examination and thus, the diagnosis of HS and CHF was not made until the age of 61 when she complained of dyspnea and palpitations on exertion. The CHF was subsequently found to be related to severe anemia in the presence of underlying heart disease. Splenectomy was performed in an attempt to relieve the severe hemolytic process. Following this, all the symptoms improved without the need for any cardiovascular drugs and she has been well throughout the 34 months follow up.
