A 30 year old female patient presents with weakness and fatigue. Physical examination reveals koilonychia and pale mucous membranes. She also gives a history of irregular and heavy menstruation. The peripheral blood smear will most likely show anemia of which kind?

Iron Deficiency Anemia In most instances iron deficiency anemia is mild and asymptomatic. Nonspecific manifestations, such as weakness, listlessness, and pallor, may be present in severe cases. With long-standing anemia, abnormalities of the fingernails, including thinning, flattening, and “spooning,” may appear. A curious but characteristic neurobehavioral complication is pica, the compunction to consume nonfoodstuffs such as dirt or clay. In peripheral smears, red cells are microcytic and hypochromic.