Blood Film Flashcards
What is a blood film?
Visualisation of WBC, RBC and platelets
What does microcytic mean?
Small cells
What does macrocytic mean?
Large cells
What does hypochromic mean?
Pale
- less Hb
What does hyperchromic mean?
Dense
- more Hb
What does anisocytosis mean?
Increased variability in size
What does poikolocytosis mean?
Abnormally shaped cells
What does spherocytosis mean?
Spherical RBCs
What does elliptocytosis mean?
Elliptical RBCs
What do sickle cells look like?
Crescent/sickle shaped
What do target cells look like?
Dark area in the middle of central pallor
Why do target cells appear?
Liver disease
Iron deficiency
What are common inclusions in RBCs?
Howell-Jolly Bodies
Basophilic Stippling
Pappenheimer Bodies
Heinz Bodies
What are Howell-Jolly bodies?
Inclusion of DNA/nuclear fragments
Present in sickle cell anaemia, haemolytic anaemia, post splenectomy
What is basophilic stippling?
Dark blue spots caused by precipitation of RNA
Seen in heavy metal poisoining, nutritional deficiences
What are Pappenheimer bodies?
Iron granules
Seen in hereditary anaemia
What are Heinz bodies?
Inclusions of denatured haemoglobin
Seen in G6PD deficiency, Thalassaemia
What are the commonly seen WBCs?
Neutrophils Eosinophils Basophils Monocytes Lymphocytes
What do neutrophils look like?
Multi-lobed nuclei
Pink/purple granules
What causes neutrophilia?
Infection
Inflammation
Cancer
Tissue damage
What causes neutropenia?
Sepsis
Splenic pooling
B12/folate deficiency
Aplastic anaemia
What do monocytes look like?
Largest WBC
Central oval nucleus
What do monocytes do?
Ingest particles such as cellular debris and bacteria
What do neutrophils do?
Engulf bacteria and cellular debris
What causes monocytosis?
Chronic inflammatory conditions
Chronic infection
Carcinoma
What causes monocytopenia?
Bloodstream infection
Chemotherapy
Bone marrow disorder
What do eosinophils do?
Mediator of allergic response
What do eosinophils look like?
Bi-lobed nuclus
Red/orange granules
What causes eosinophilia?
Allergic disease
Parasitic infection
What causes eosinopenia?
Stress reaction
Cushing’s syndrome
Steroid use
What do basophils do?
Active in allergic reactions and inflammatory conditions
What do basophils look like?
Purple/black granules
What causes basophilia?
Immediate hypersensitivity reactions
UC
RA
What cause basopenia?
Hyperthyroidism
Glucocorticoids
What do lymphocytes do?
Production of antibiodies
What to lymphocytes look like?
Smooth round nucleus
What causes lymphocytosis?
Viral infections
Bacterial infections
Smoking
Post-splenectomy
What causes lymphopenia?
Recent infection
