Methods: A study of 1100 patients who had undergone upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy for a period of four and half years from May 2009 to October 2013 was carried out. In all the patients found to have hookworms in duodenum, investigations were done to know about the presence of severe anaemia. In patients with severe anaemia [haemoglobin <7g/dl or g%] peripheral smear examination was also done in addition to haemoglobin estimation. But in one patient with severe anaemia, various investigations which indicate iron deficiency anaemia were also done namely serum ferritin and serum iron in addition to haemoglobin estimation, mean corpuscular volume or MCV and peripheral smear examination. The results were found as given below.

Results: Out of these 1100 patients, 14 patients found to have hookworms in duodenum were taken into consideration for our study. Out of these14 patients, 2 patients were found to have severe anaemia [haemoglobin <7g/dl or g%] due to severe hookworm infection. The peripheral smear of both the patients showed severe hypochromic anaemia. In one patient with severe anaemia, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume or MCV were very low, peripheral smear examination showed microcytic hypochromic anemia and serum ferritin and serum iron were very low which indicate iron deficiency anaemia.

Conclusion: Thus patients having low hemoglobin, low mean corpuscular volume or MCV and microcytic hypochromic RBCs on peripheral smear along with low serum ferritin and low serum iron were labelled as having iron deficiency anaemia. Hence our patient with low haemoglobin (3.2 g%), low mean corpuscular volume or MCV (50.7femolitres or fl), low serum ferritin (1.4 ng/ ml), low serum iron (20 μg /dL) and microcytic hypochromic RBCs on peripheral smear has iron deficiency anaemia.