The osmotic fragility test is useful for diagnosing several hematological conditions:
- Hereditary Spherocytosis: Red blood cells exhibit increased fragility due to membrane defects, leading to a higher rate of hemolysis in hypotonic solutions. - Thalassemia: This condition often results in microcytic cells with varying degrees of osmotic fragility. - Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: May show increased fragility due to antibody-mediated membrane damage.
