Sideroblastic anemia comprises a heterogeneous group of inherited and acquired disorders characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis. Anemia, if present, may be microcytic or macrocytic. Sometimes a dimorphic picture is observed in which 2 populations of erythrocytes can be detected in peripheral blood smears. The presence of ringed sideroblasts (erythroblasts containing pathologic mitochondrial iron deposits) in bone marrow is pathognomonic for sideroblastic anemia (van Waveren Hogervorst et al., 1987; Schmitz-Abe et al., 2015).
For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of sideroblastic anemia, see SIDBA1 (300751). [from
OMIM]