pernicious anemia

noun

Pathology.

1. a severe anemia caused by the diminution or absence of stomach acid secretion, with consequent failure of the gastric mucosa to secrete the intrinsic factor necessary for the absorption of vitamin B 1 2 , characterized by a great reduction in the number of red blood cells and an increase in their size.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pernicious anemia¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

In humans, impaired stomach lining stems from gastric surgery, chronic inflammation or pernicious anemia — a medical condition characterized by fatigue and a long list of other symptoms.

Read more on Salon

Q: I was diagnosed a decade ago with pernicious anemia.

Read more on Seattle Times

Run ragged from weeks of campaigning across the West while fighting strep throat and tonsillitis, she died the next month, at age 30, from pernicious anemia.

Read more on New York Times

Individuals with pernicious anemia, which affects up to 2 percent of older adults, are also susceptible.

Read more on New York Times

My deficiency might be caused by an autoimmune disease called pernicious anemia.

Read more on Washington Post