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Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) - Symptom

Alternative Names

PNH

Symptoms:

Abdominal pain
Back pain
Blood clots -- may form in some people
Dark urine -- comes and goes
Easy bruising or bleeding
Headache
Shortness of breath

Signs and tests:

Red and white blood cell counts and platelet counts may be low.

Red or brown urine signals the breakdown of red blood cells and that hemoglobin is being released into the body's circulation and eventually into the urine.

Tests that may be done to diagnose this condition may include:

Complete blood count (CBC)
Coombes' test
Flow cytometry to measure certain proteins
Ham's (acid hemolysin) test
Serum hemoglobin and haptoglobin
Sucrose hemolysis test
Urinalysis

Blood cells

Reviewed last on: 11/10/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves First-of-its-Kind Drug to Treat Rare Blood Disorder. Rockville, MD: National Press Office; March 16, 2007. Release P07-47.

Schwartz RS. Autoimmune and intravascular hemolytic anemias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 164.

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