Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chronic, progressive form of anemia primarily affecting older adults: It is characterized by the body's inability to absorb vitamin B12 due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor, a protein normally secreted by the stomach lining.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with malignant anemia after experiencing persistent fatigue and neurological symptoms.
  • Untreated malignant anemia can lead to serious complications affecting the nervous system.
  • Treatment for malignant anemia typically involves regular vitamin B12 injections.

Advanced Usage

• The term "malignant" in malignant anemia is a historical medical term meaning "bad" or "severe," and does not imply cancer. In modern clinical language, the condition is more precisely called .

Variants and Related Words

• Pernicious anemia (n): The modern and more clinically precise synonym for malignant anemia.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia (n): A broader term that includes anemia caused by B12 malabsorption from any cause, including malignant anemia.
• Megaloblastic anemia (n): A type of anemia characterized by enlarged red blood cells, which is a feature of malignant anemia.

Synonyms

• Pernicious anemia
• Addison's anemia
• Biermer's anemia

Related Phrases

• Intrinsic factor deficiency: The specific physiological cause of malignant anemia.
• Megaloblastic bone marrow: A description of the bone marrow findings associated with malignant anemia.

Noun

1. a chronic progressive anemia of older adults; thought to result from a lack of intrinsic factor (a substance secreted by the stomach that is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12)