Homozygous ß-Thalassemia (FCS8-AA) and Hereditary Spherocytosis in the Same Patient

A three-year old Turkish girl having both homozygous ß-thalassemia and hereditary spherocytosis and her family have been studied. The molecular defect causing thalassemia in the family was of the frame shift codon 8 (-AA) mutation type. The diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis is based on osmotic fragility test in the patient and the family. However, the examination of erythrocyte membrane proteins has not been possible. ßthalassemia is in the heterozygous form in the mother, the father, and in two sisters. The mother, the father, and one of the sisters also have hereditary spherocytosis in addition to thalassemia. All those family members are asymptomatic. However, the patient who has frame shift codon 8 homozygosity along with hereditary spherocytosis presented with a severe form of hemolytic anemia.