Library/Blood count/MCV/78

MCV of 78 fLWhat it means, and what usually happens next

78fL MCV
Low (small red cells)
80101116

An MCV of 78 fL is under the usual 80 to 100 fL, meaning your red cells are smaller than usual.

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MCV78fL
Where it fallsLow (small red cells)
The usual rangeabout 80 to 100 fL

What usually happens next

Iron deficiency is the most common reason, and a ferritin test shows it. Thalassaemia trait, an inherited and usually harmless difference, is the other common one.

The red cell count helps tell them apart: it tends to be high in thalassaemia trait and low in iron deficiency.

What a low MCV usually means, and its common causes

When an MCV can read wrong

A mix of causes can cancel out: iron deficiency (small cells) with low B12 (large cells) can give a normal MCV. Cold agglutinins and very high glucose can make it read falsely high on the analyser.

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Questions

Is an MCV of 78 fL normal?

An MCV of 78 fL is under the usual 80 to 100 fL, meaning your red cells are smaller than usual. The usual range is about 80 to 100 fL.

Worked out by LifeFrom from the usual lab range (StatPearls, American Family Physician), and not yet reviewed by a clinician. For your own understanding: only a lab test, read by your clinician, diagnoses anything.