Blood, 1959, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 203-227.
© 1959 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Anemia Following Nerve Resection
S. R. HOLLAN 1
1 Department of Pathophysiology, Institute for Experimental Medical Research,
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
1. Unilateral sciatic and femoral nerve resection is followed by a marked
and lasting fall in the red cell count and hemoglobin value in the albino rat.
2. There are different types in the course of the anemia.
3. A definite parallelism has been observed between the course and
severity of anemia and of trophic disturbances developing in the limb almost
deprived of its nerve supply.
4. The resection of different peripheral nerves equally results in anemia in
the albino rat. The grade of anemia depends on the size of the area supplied
by the resected nerve.
5. It is essential in the development of nerve resection anemia that the
area with impaired nerve supply and trophic disturbances remain in the
organism. Humoral or neurohumoral effects emitted from this area with impaired metabolism are the factors eliciting the anemia observed.
6. Anemia following nerve resection is not due to a change in the distribution of blood cells, nor is it a sequel to loss of blood.
7. Secondary infections, or manifestations of some latent infection (first
of all, bartonellosis) are not involved in the development of nerve resection
anemia.
8. Chronic tissue destruction induced in areas with intact innervation
causes no anemia.
9. Anemia following nerve resection is not due to a deficiency in nutrition.
10. Nerve resections are followed by changes in the entire blood cell system,
especially in the formation, maturation and destruction of erythrocytes.
11. Hematologic studies carried out after nerve resections indicate an increased reticuloendothelial activity and the impairment of iron and nucleic
acid metabolism.
Submitted on January 30, 1958
Accepted on July 17, 1958
