A 30-year-old Chinese
woman who has been in the United Kingdom for the last year is scheduled to have a
laparoscopic cholecystectomy. She has no significant past medical history other than
rheumatoid arthritis for which she takes occasional analgesia only.
She has been feeling tired
over the last few months. Clinical examination is consistent with rheumatoid arthritis
but otherwise unremarkable. She has a microcytic, hypochromic anaemia with a haemoglobin
of 9.6 g/dL. Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY to be the cause?
a) HbH disease
b) Alpha-thalassaemia
trait
c) Anaemia secondary to
rheumatoid arthritis
d) Beta-thalassaemia minor
e) Anaemia secondary to
menorrhagia
