This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.
Mentzer index
MCV / red blood cell count: > 13 iron deficiency, < 13 thalassemia – screening in microcytic anemia
Calculation aid for healthcare professionals: the calculator reproduces what the sources cited assign to the inputs. Clinical assessment and every treatment decision remain with the treating physician. Inputs and results are not stored.
Frequently asked questions
Mentzer index: What does this calculator compute?
Calculates the Mentzer index (MCV in fl divided by the red blood cell count in million/µl) for a preliminary distinction between iron deficiency anemia (> 13) and thalassemia minor (< 13) in microcytic anemia.
Mentzer index: Which sources is this calculator based on?
Mentzer WC Jr: Differentiation of iron deficiency from thalassaemia trait (Lancet 1:882) (1973); Vehapoglu A, Ozgurhan G, Demir AD, et al.: Hematological Indices for Differential Diagnosis of Beta Thalassemia Trait and Iron Deficiency Anemia (Anemia 2014:576738) (2014); AlQarni AM, Althumairi A, Alkaltham NK, et al.: Diagnostic test performance of the Mentzer index in evaluating Saudi children with microcytosis (Front Med 11:1361805) (2024)