In patients with thalassemia, what is typically seen in red blood cells?

In thalassemia, the hallmark red blood cell changes include a decreased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and an increased red cell distribution width (RDW). Thalassemia is characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis and microcytic anemia, which results in smaller than normal red blood cells, thus leading to a reduced MCV.

Additionally, the increased RDW reflects the variability in red blood cell sizes present in thalassemia, which occurs due to the presence of both normal and smaller cells produced by the bone marrow. This variability is significant because it indicates a mixture of red blood cell populations, often seen in genetically inherited conditions like thalassemia.

The other options presented do not align with the typical hematological findings in thalassemia. Increased MCV would suggest macrocytic anemia, which is not characteristic of this condition, while a decreased RDW might indicate a more homogenous population of red blood cells rather than the variation seen in thalassemia.