A patient with anemia is found to have a low mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and a high red cell distribution width (RDW). What is the most likely diagnosis?

A Iron deficiency anemia ✓
B Thalassemia minor
C Anisocytosis
D Mixed anemia

Explanation

A low MCV indicates microcytic anemia, and a high RDW indicates a variation in red blood cell size, which is characteristic of iron deficiency anemia.

Source

Williams Hematology
Hematology Hematology: Anemia Hematology: Anemia Easy MEDICAL Confidence: high