Anti-E Minor Blood Group Incompatibility and Hereditary Spherocytosis Associated Severe Hyperbilirubinemia: Neonatal Case Report

Abstract

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common clinical findings in the neonatal period. In neonatal pathological jaundice, the causes of hyperbilirubinemia caused by erythrocyte destruction should be considered and evaluated in terms of hemolytic jaundice. In neonatal period, hemolytic jaundice is mostly caused by ABO and Rh incompatibility but less frequently it can caused by subgroup incompatibility and hereditary spherocytosis. Subgroup incompatibility can cause hemolytic disease from mild hyperbilibinemia to severe enough to require exchange transfusion. Hereditary spherocytosis is usually diagnosed later. However, presence of a family history and detecting an abnormality in erythrocyte morphology in the blood smear may enable diagnosis in the first few weeks. We report the case of neonate presented close to exchange level hyperbilirubinemia on the 7th day of life and diagnosed anti-E subgroup incompatibility and hereditary spherocytosis and successfully treated with intensive phototherapy and intravenous immunoglobulin without the need for exchange transfusion.

Keywords

• minor blood group incompatibility
• hereditary spherocytosis
• newborn
• jaundice