Assessment of Mean Corpuscular Volume as a Surrogate Marker for Detecting Early Iron Deficiency among School Children

The aim of the present study was to assess the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) as a surrogate marker for detecting early iron deficiency prior to definitive investigation and treatment. This study was done on one hundred students in Swada Preparatory School – Sharkia Governorate from 2010 to 2011. They were subdivided into three groups: Group (A): comprised of 31 anemic children. Group (B): comprised of 19 microcytic children. Group (C): comprised the control group of 50 apparently healthy children with normal CBC. All subjects were subjected to: full history taking, thorough clinical examination and iron studies including: serum iron, total iron binding capacity, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation. There was a significant difference among studied subjects in height, presence of anorexia and pallor. Moreover, there was a significant difference among studied subjects in Hb, RBCs count, MCH, RDW (p < 0.001) and WBCs count (p= 0.004). We noticed a significant positive correlation between MCV (fl) and serum iron (mg/dl) in anemic subjects. Also there was a significant positive correlation between MCV (fl) and TIBC (μg/dl) in anemic subjects as well as a significant positive correlation between MCV (fl) and serum ferritin (μg/dl). In microcytic subjects, we found a significant positive correlation between MCV (fl) and iron (mg/dl) and a significant positive correlation between MCV (fl) and ferritin (μg/dl). Every child with clinical manifestations of anemia proved by CBC who have microcytosis and low MCV should undergo iron studies (serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron binding capacity and transferrin saturation).