Hereditary elliptocytosis

Hereditary elliptocytosis, also known as ovalocytosis, is an inherited blood disorder in which an unusually large number of a person's red blood cells are elliptical rather than the normal biconcave disc shape. The distinctively shaped cells are sometimes called elliptocytes or ovalocytes. The disorder is one of many defects of the red cell membrane. In its severe forms it predisposes a person to haemolytic anaemia, in which red cells are destroyed faster than they are replaced. The Wikipedia lead adds a comparative note: although the finding is pathological in humans, elliptocytosis is normal in camelids, the family that includes camels and llamas. This entry records the source and is not medical advice.