Drepanocytes are associated with which conditions?

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Drepanocytes are crescent-shaped red blood cells that form when hemoglobin S polymerizes in deoxygenated blood. This shape change is characteristic of sickle cell disorders, most prominently sickle cell anemia and hemoglobin SC disease, where a substantial portion of red cells become misshapen under low-oxygen conditions. The presence of drepanocytes reflects the underlying HbS-related sickling process and explains complications like vaso-occlusion and hemolysis seen in these conditions. In contrast, aplastic anemia involves reduced production with normal red cell morphology, iron deficiency anemia shows microcytic, hypochromic cells rather than crescent stages, and thalassemia trait typically presents with microcytosis and target cells without sickling.