Megaloblastic Anemia: Complications

The following are the major diseases or complications that may be contributed to by megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency:

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Increased susceptibility to infection

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99)

  • Angina pectoris (“chest tightness”; sudden onset of pain in the heart area).
  • Palpitations (heart stuttering)

Mouth, esophagus (food pipe), stomach, and intestines (K00-K67; K90-K93).

  • Gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa).
  • Hunter’s glositis (inflammation of the tongue) with mucosal atrophy of the tongue and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
  • Malabsorption
  • Steatorrhea (fatty stools)

Psyche – nervous system (F00-F99; G00-G99)

  • Ataxia (gait disorders)
  • Dementia
  • Funicular myelosis (synonym: funicular spinal disease) – demyelinating disease (degeneration of the posterior cord, lateral cord, and a polyneuropathy/diseases of the peripheral nervous system affecting multiple nerves) caused by vitamin B12 deficiency; symptomatology: deficits of motor function and sensitivity that may worsen to paraplegia; encephalopathy (pathological conditions of the brain) of varying degrees.
  • Disturbed sense of position
  • Disturbed vibration sensation
  • Muscle weakness
  • Paresis (paralysis) in the extremities
  • Psychosis
  • Numbness in the extremities
  • Forgetfulness
  • Decreased or increased reflexes

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

The following are the main diseases or complications that may be contributed by megaloblastic anemia due to folic acid deficiency:

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Increased susceptibility to infection

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99)

  • Angina pectoris (“chest tightness”; sudden onset of pain in the heart area).
  • Palpitations (heart stuttering)

Mouth, esophagus (food pipe), stomach, and intestines (K00-K67; K90-K93).

  • Cheilosis – redness and swelling of the lips.
  • Gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa).
  • Glossitis (inflammation of the tongue)
  • Malabsorption
  • Steatorrhea (fatty stools)

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99).

The following are the most important diseases or complications that may be contributed by pernicious anemia:

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Increased susceptibility to infection

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48)

  • Gastric carcinoma (stomach cancer)