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Deficiency of Vitamin B12 in patients of heterozygous beta-thalassemia and spastic paraparesis
The brain, optic nerves, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves may be affected by the deficiency of vitamin B12 (cobalamin). It also causes megaloblastic anemia, referring that red blood corpuscles are usually larger than normal size and their maturation is also abnormal.
Furthermore, neutrophils are usually hyper segmented and large, and in more advanced cases neutropenia and thrombocytopenia may also be observed because of deficiency of vitamin B12. Macrocytosis may not be present in individuals with either alpha- or beta-thalassemia or iron deficiency anemia.
