The mean red blood cell volume (MCV) represents the average size of individual red blood cells in the blood. The normal value of MCV for a normal adult is 80-100 fl. If the MCV value is higher than 100 fl, it is called macrocytic.
The MCV is used in conjunction with the hemoglobin volume and the average hemoglobin concentration of the red blood cells to determine whether a patient is anemic and the type of anemia present.
If the patient’s hemoglobin value is lower than normal, the patient is considered to be anemic, and the type of anemia is then determined by the mean red blood cell volume value. If the average volume of red blood cells is below 80 fl, it is called microcytic anemia; if it is above 100 fl, it is called macrocytic anemia; and if it is between 80 and 100 fl, it is orthocytic anemia. This narrows down the etiology and together with other relevant tests can clarify the cause of the patient’s anemia.
Macrocytic anemia is commonly associated with megaloblastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and hepatic anemia, which means that the average volume of red blood cells in patients with these types of anemia is higher than normal.
It is important to point out that if the laboratory tests indicate that the values of hemoglobin and mean hemoglobin concentration are normal, and only the mean red blood cell volume is higher than normal, it is not clinically significant.
In summary, mean red blood cell volume is mostly used for the diagnosis of anemia types, and high is mostly seen in macrocytic anemia, but the specific cause needs to be further clarified with medical history and relevant laboratory tests.