What are the symptoms of Hemoglobin E disease ?
What are the signs and symptoms of hemoglobin E disease? Affected individuals can develop mild thalassemia in the first few months of life. While mild splenomegaly and/or anemia can occur, it is generally considered a benign condition. When a person inherits a gene mutation from one of their parents, they are said to be a carrier or have hemoglobin trait. These individuals are typically asymptomatic, although they may have small red blood cells. However, carriers may be at risk to have children with hemoglobin E/thalassemia (which is similar to thalassemia) or hemoglobin sickle E disease (milder form of sickle cell anemia). Both of these conditions are much more severe than hemoglobin E disease. They are are also inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.