When anemia is confirmed, the next step is to determine whether or not it is regenerative. The following characteristics indicate regeneration:
• Anisocytosis refers to variations in RBC size caused by the presence of some larger and immature RBCs released from the bone marrow.
• Presence of reticulocytes (immature RBCs) – these cells can be distinguished from normal (mature) RBCs using special stains, and their number can be used to determine how regenerative the anemia is.
