<unk>  is characterized by small red blood cells. The normal mean corpuscular volume (abbreviated to MCV on full blood count results) is 76-100 fl, with smaller cells (<76 fl) described as<unk>  and larger cells (>100 fl) as<unk> .
In<unk> , the red blood cells (erythrocytes) are usually also hypochromic, meaning that the red blood cells are paler than usual. This can be quantified as the mean corpuscular hemoglobin or mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), the amount of hemoglobin per cell; the normal value is 27-32 picograms (pg). Similar is the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration or mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), giving the amount of hemoglobin per volume of erythrocytes (normally about 320-360 g/l or 32-36 g/dl). Typically, therefore,<unk>  of this category is described as<unk> , hypochromic<unk> ".<unk>  is classically caused by:
iron deficiency<unk> , by far the most common cause of<unk>  in general and of<unk>  in particular;
thalassemia;
sideroblastic<unk> , congenital or acquired;
sometimes,<unk>  of chronic disease, although this more typically causes normochromic, normocytic<unk> ;
lead poisoning (rare).
Other causes that are "typically" thought of as causing normocytic<unk>  or<unk>  must also be considered, and the presence of two or more causes of<unk>  can distort the "typical" picture of each.
Microcytic anemia
Macrocytic anemia
Hypochromic anemia
Normochromic anemia
Neutrophilia
Plasmacytosis
Pancytopenia
Hepatosplenomegaly