Aaron complains to his parents that he is experiencing significant pain in his right leg, and he does not have much of an appetite. Aaron's father takes him to the doctor for a thorough exam. After getting lab results, the doctor reports, "The pain is his leg is likely due to the presence of misshapen red blood cells." Of the following disorders, which is the most likely diagnosis of Aaron's condition? A) Sickle-cell anemia B) Down syndrome C) Tay-Sachs disease D) Klinefelter's syndrome
Health · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
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Answer: The most likely diagnosis of Aaron's condition, given that the pain in his leg is due to the presence of misshapen red blood cells, is A) Sickle-cell anemia. Sickle-cell anemia is a genetic disorder characterized by the production of abnormal hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This abnormal hemoglobin causes red blood cells to become rigid, sticky, and shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These misshapen cells can get stuck in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body, causing pain.