Components of blood

Question 1

What are Heinz Bodies

Answer 1

• individual blobs seen inside red blood cells caused by denatured globin
• seen in G6PD and alpha-thalassaemia.

Question 2

What are Howell-Jolly bodies

Answer 2

• DNA material that is removed by the spleen during circulation of red blood cells
• seen in post-splenectomy and in patients with severe anaemia where the body is regenerating red blood cells quickly.

Question 3

What are reticylocytes

Answer 3

• Immature red blood cells that are slightly larger than standard erythrocytes (RBCs) and still have RNA material
• percentage goes up where there is rapid turnover of red blood cells (haemolytic anaemia)

Question 4

What are Schistocytes

Answer 4

• Fragments of RBCs that indicate they are being physically damaged by trauma during their journey through the blood vessels
• may indicate: haemolytic uraemic syndrome, DIC or thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura, metallic heart valves and haemolytic anaemia.

Question 5

What are Sideroblasts

Answer 5

• immature RBCs that contain blobs of iron
• occur when the bone marrow is unable to incorporate iron into the haemoglobin molecules
• can indicate a myelodysplasic syndrome.

Question 6

What are Smudge cells

Answer 6

ruptured white blood cells that occur during the process of preparing the blood film due to aged or fragile white blood cells. They can indicate chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Question 7

What are spherocytes

Answer 7

Spherical red blood cells without the normal bi-concave disk space.
- can indicated autoimmune haemolytic anaemia or hereditary spherocytosis.