Hemoglobin Hammersmith as the cause of severe hemolytic anemia in a Chinese girl.

Hemoglobin Hammersmith, a rare unstable hemoglobin, was diagnosed in a 4-year-old Chinese girl living in Los Angeles. She presented with the typical manifestations of this disorder, including neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, followed by increasing hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, bilirubinuria, and a severe hemolytic anemia exacerbated by mild infections. The most prominent manifestations of the peripheral smear were polychromasia, normoblastemia, and basophilic stippling. The diagnosis was confirmed by several techniques.