O.B. is a generally healthy 36-year-old woman with complaints of persistent generalized fatigue. At her annual checkup, she is noted to have the following vital signs: heart rate 118 beats/min, blood pressure 128/60, oral temperature 37ºC, respiratory rate 26 breaths/min. Her skin and nail beds are pale.
Laboratory results demonstrate hematocrit (Hct) 31%; hemoglobin 10 g/dl; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration 27; mean corpuscular volume 70; total iron binding capacity 600 mg/dl.
Questions
1. What type of hematologic disorder would you suspect based on M.B.'s history, physical examination, and laboratory values?