Normoblasts in peripheral blood of Nigerians: their clinical significance.

The clinical conditions associated with peripheral blood nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) in Nigerians were investigated prospectively to define them and establish their mortality. Of the 4,565 differential counts carried out within ten months, NRBC were detected in 120 cases (2.6 percent). Of these, severe nutritional anemia was seen in 64.4 percent, sickle cell anemia in 23.8 percent, neonatal status in 7.6 percent; and malignant diseases in 4.2 percent. Leukoerythroblastosis occurred in 11 percent. The overall mortality was 4.2 percent, and among those with congestive cardiac failure, there was no fatality. These results show that malignancy is not a major cause of normoblasts in peripheral blood in this environment and that the prognosis is not as poor as has been reported in some North American and European literature.