Complete blood count
MCHC
MCHC stands for mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. It describes how tightly packed with haemoglobin your average red blood cell is. It is a calculated value, not something measured directly.
Typical adult reference range
Roughly 32 to 36 · g/dL
Ranges vary between laboratories and by age, sex and method. Always read your own result against the range printed on your own report.
What a high result can mean
A high MCHC is uncommon and is most often a laboratory artefact caused by the sample, for example if red cells clumped or broke down before analysis. Genuine causes are rarer and include hereditary spherocytosis, a condition in which red cells are small and round.
What a low result can mean
A low MCHC means red cells are pale, which usually points toward iron deficiency or a thalassaemia trait. It is usually interpreted alongside MCV rather than on its own.
What commonly affects this result
Sample handling and transport time, very high blood fats, and cold agglutinins, all of which can distort the calculation.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- Does my MCHC fit with the rest of my blood count, or does it look like a sample issue?
- Should this be repeated on a fresh sample?
- Do my iron studies match what this number suggests?
See what your own results say
Upload your blood test and get a plain English summary of every value on it, with the questions worth raising at your next appointment.
Analyse my resultsThis page explains what a test measures. It is general information, not medical advice, and it cannot tell you what your own result means. Reference ranges differ between laboratories, and results are only meaningful alongside your history, your symptoms and your other results. Always discuss your results with your doctor.