What happens to hematocrit in microcytosis? Macrocytosis?

Question

What happens to hematocrit in microcytosis? Macrocytosis?

Answer 1

Microcytosis is when your red blood cells are smaller than typical and macrocytosis is when they are larger than normal.

Hematocrit is the percent of your blood volume that is constituted by RBC volume.

Therefore, if your RBC's are smaller than they should be, then they will take up less volume of your total blood and your hematocrit would decrease.

Answer 2

I would have to disagree with the previous answerer. Microcytosis happens when the cell does not make enough hemoglobin to "fill out" the rbc....usually indicating a deficiency in iron. Macrocytosis happens when the cell does not have the necessary resources to divide, instead continues to get bigger and bigger....usually indicating a deficiency in vitamin B-12, folic acid, or certain anti-cancer drugs that restrict cell division.

In blood tests, the MCV, MCH and MCHC are used to diagnose macro- or microcytosis. In both instances, difficulties in  hematopoiesis results in a *lowered hematocrit*, regardless of its macro- or microcytotic nature.