Hereditary spherocytosis in an elderly woman with periodic attacks of jaundice

Hereditary spherocytosis is a disease with chronic hemolytic anemia found mostly in childhood. We encountered a rare case of sporadic hereditary spherocytosis in a 68-year-old woman who developed periodic jaundice caused by hemolytic crises. Since the hemolytic crises were caused by cholelithiasis-related biliary inflammation, administration of ursodeoxycholic acid was useful for the prevention of the hemolytic crises. In the differential diagnosis of periodic increases in indirect bilirubin, the possibility of hemolytic diseases, including hereditary ones, should be considered, even if the patients are elderly.