[Long-term clinical experience with spherocytic hemolytic anemia in children].

The author investigated during a 15-year period 27 children with spherocytic haemolytic anaemia. In 20 children the disease was familial. The initial symptoms were jaundice and anaemia. In six children the disease was manifested by severe neonatal jaundice and in four an exsanguination transfusion was made. Of five older children three were at first treated for infectious hepatitis. The anaemic syndrome was in the foreground of the clinical picture in 16 children, incl. 10 where it was present already in infant age. In 24 children splenectomy was performed, usually after the age of 6 years. For prophylaxis of bacterial infection the splenectomized children were given penicillin preparations for a period of three years. The OPSI syndrome was not recorded.