Introduction

In alpha thalassemia, you have a defective alpha globin chain production leading to hypochromic microcytic cells. The defect in 90% of patients is deletional and in 10% of patients it is non-deletional or constant spring and menia. And this is compared to beta Thalassemia where there is a defective beta globin gene. When the four gammas get together, they're called HB barts, which have less oxygen affinity causing hypoxia.