Pernicious Anemia in Childhood

THE clinical and hematologic manifestations of pernicious anemia are due to a deficiency of vitamin B12 resulting from a specific and selective inability to absorb the vitamin from the gastrointestinal tract. The failure of absorption of vitamin B12 in pernicious anemia is due to the absence of intrinsic factor from the gastric secretion that is associated with, and generally considered to result from, atrophy of the gastric mucosa.1 Achylia gastrica accompanies the atrophy of the gastric mucosa, and free hydrochloric acid is rarely present in the gastric secretion.Vitamin B12 deficiency can be proved by serum microbiologic . . .