[Beta thalassemia in pediatric practice. A group of 22 pediatric patients].

The authors describe 22 cases of beta-thalassaemia minor in 11 boys and 11 girls from Czech families. The children suffer as a rule mild hypochromic anaemia with marked microcytosis and rather elevated red cell values. The serum ferritin values are normal, serum iron is normal or slightly elevated. In all children the ratio of haemoglobin A2 is raised (to 4-7%) and in 40% the ratio of haemoglobin F is raised (to 1.5 to 5.9%). There are no differences between boys and girls in the investigated parameters. The boy have, as compared with adult men with beta-thalassaemia minor, significantly lower values of red blood cells and serum ferritin. There are no significant differences between girls and adult women suffering from this disease.