Blood Film

Question 1

What is a blood film?

Answer 1

Visualisation of WBC, RBC and platelets

Question 2

What does microcytic mean?

Answer 2

Small cells

Question 3

What does macrocytic mean?

Answer 3

Large cells

Question 4

What does hypochromic mean?

Answer 4

Pale

- less Hb

Question 5

What does hyperchromic mean?

Answer 5

Dense

- more Hb

Question 6

What does anisocytosis mean?

Answer 6

Increased variability in size

Question 7

What does poikolocytosis mean?

Answer 7

Abnormally shaped cells

Question 8

What does spherocytosis mean?

Answer 8

Spherical RBCs

Question 9

What does elliptocytosis mean?

Answer 9

Elliptical RBCs

Question 10

What do sickle cells look like?

Answer 10

Crescent/sickle shaped

Question 11

What do target cells look like?

Answer 11

Dark area in the middle of central pallor

Question 12

Why do target cells appear?

Answer 12

Liver disease

Iron deficiency

Question 13

What are common inclusions in RBCs?

Answer 13

Howell-Jolly Bodies
Basophilic Stippling
Pappenheimer Bodies
Heinz Bodies

Question 14

What are Howell-Jolly bodies?

Answer 14

Inclusion of DNA/nuclear fragments

Present in sickle cell anaemia, haemolytic anaemia, post splenectomy

Question 15

What is basophilic stippling?

Answer 15

Dark blue spots caused by precipitation of RNA

Seen in heavy metal poisoining, nutritional deficiences

Question 16

What are Pappenheimer bodies?

Answer 16

Iron granules

Seen in hereditary anaemia

Question 17

What are Heinz bodies?

Answer 17

Inclusions of denatured haemoglobin

Seen in G6PD deficiency, Thalassaemia

Question 18

What are the commonly seen WBCs?

Answer 18

Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Monocytes
Lymphocytes

Question 19

What do neutrophils look like?

Answer 19

Multi-lobed nuclei

Pink/purple granules

Question 20

What causes neutrophilia?

Answer 20

Infection
Inflammation
Cancer
Tissue damage

Question 21

What causes neutropenia?

Answer 21

Sepsis
Splenic pooling
B12/folate deficiency
Aplastic anaemia

Question 22

What do monocytes look like?

Answer 22

Largest WBC

Central oval nucleus

Question 23

What do monocytes do?

Answer 23

Ingest particles such as cellular debris and bacteria

Question 24

What do neutrophils do?

Answer 24

Engulf bacteria and cellular debris

Question 25

What causes monocytosis?

Answer 25

Chronic inflammatory conditions
Chronic infection
Carcinoma

Question 26

What causes monocytopenia?

Answer 26

Bloodstream infection
Chemotherapy
Bone marrow disorder

Question 27

What do eosinophils do?

Answer 27

Mediator of allergic response

Question 28

What do eosinophils look like?

Answer 28

Bi-lobed nuclus

Red/orange granules

Question 29

What causes eosinophilia?

Answer 29

Allergic disease

Parasitic infection

Question 30

What causes eosinopenia?

Answer 30

Stress reaction
Cushing’s syndrome
Steroid use

Question 31

What do basophils do?

Answer 31

Active in allergic reactions and inflammatory conditions

Question 32

What do basophils look like?

Answer 32

Purple/black granules

Question 33

What causes basophilia?

Answer 33

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions
UC
RA

Question 34

What cause basopenia?

Answer 34

Hyperthyroidism

Glucocorticoids

Question 35

What do lymphocytes do?

Answer 35

Production of antibiodies

Question 36

What to lymphocytes look like?

Answer 36

Smooth round nucleus

Question 37

What causes lymphocytosis?

Answer 37

Viral infections
Bacterial infections
Smoking
Post-splenectomy

Question 38

What causes lymphopenia?

Answer 38

Recent infection