Late Recognition of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency in a 70-Year-Old Man: A Case Report

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzymatic disorder of red blood cells worldwide and typically presents in childhood or early adulthood following exposure to oxidative stressors. Late-life diagnosis is uncommon and may be overlooked in patients without exposure to classic hemolytic triggers. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with intermittent, mild macrocytic anemia who was ultimately diagnosed with G6PD deficiency. This case highlights how G6PD deficiency may remain clinically silent for decades, discusses reasons for delayed diagnosis, and emphasizes the importance of considering inherited hemolytic disorders in older adults with unexplained macrocytic anemia.