What type of anemia is characterized by basophilic stippling of red blood cells?

Sideroblastic anemia is characterized by basophilic stippling of red blood cells due to abnormalities in heme synthesis. This condition results from impaired incorporation of iron into porphyrin, leading to the formation of ringed sideroblasts in the bone marrow and accumulation of iron within the red blood cells. Basophilic stippling appears as small, blue granules in the cytoplasm of red blood cells when viewed under a microscope, caused by the presence of ribosomal RNA and other cellular inclusions.

In the context of the other types of anemia, hemolytic anemia typically leads to a different set of findings, such as an increased reticulocyte count and possibly elevated bilirubin levels, rather than basophilic stippling. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia often presents with megaloblastic changes in red blood cells, including larger than normal cell size and hypersegmented neutrophils. Thalassemia usually shows microcytic red blood cells and sometimes target cells, but not basophilic stippling as a feature. Therefore, the presence of basophilic stippling is characteristic of sideroblastic anemia specifically.