Dictionary
perni'cious ane'mia
Pathol.
a severe anemia caused by the diminution or absence of stomach acid secretion, with consequent failure of the gastric mucosa to secrete the intrinsic factor necessary for the absorption of vitamin B
12, characterized by a great reduction in the number of red blood cells and an increase in their size.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.