Erythrocytes Flashcards

1
Q

What is Erythropoeisis?

A

process of maturation of a RBC

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2
Q

What is the lifespan of a RBC in a Dog?

A

110 days

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3
Q

What is the lifespan of a RBC in a Cat?

A

68 days

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4
Q

How are RBC’s classified?

A
  • Cell arangement of blood film
  • Color (variation: Polychromasia)
  • Size (variation: Anisocytosis)
  • Shape (variation: Poikilocytosis)
  • Presence of structures
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5
Q

What is Polychromasia?

A

variation in color

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6
Q

What is Rouleaux Formation?

A
  • grouping of red blood cells in stacks
  • sign of increased fibrinogen or globulin concentration
  • can be artifact (operator error)
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7
Q

How do you “fix” a Rouleaux Formation?

A

drop of saline added to blood

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8
Q

What is Agglutination?

A
  • appears as stacks or clusters
  • occurs in: immune-mediated disorders
  • antibody coats the cell causing clumping
  • saline won’t fix
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9
Q

What is Normochromatic?

A

erythrocytes that are normally colored

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10
Q

What 2 ways can Polychromasia show?

A
  • Hypochromasia
  • Hyperchromasia
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11
Q

Polychromatic RBC

A
  • bluish tint (caused by small amt. of nucleus in cytoplasm)
  • may appear as reticulocytes
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12
Q

What is Hypochromasia?

A
  • decrease in color
  • decreased staining intensity caused by insufficent hemoglobin
  • caused by: iron deficency
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13
Q

What is Hyperchromasia?

A
  • cell that appears darker than normal
  • oversaturated with hemoglobin
  • true hyperchromasia can’t exist!!
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14
Q

What is MCHC?

A
  • mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
  • describes cell as normochromatic or hypochromatic
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15
Q

What is the normal MCHC?

A

31-36%

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16
Q

What is Normocyte or Normocytic Cells?

A
  • RBCs that are of normal, consistent size
  • Anisocytosis:variation in size
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17
Q

What is Anisocytosis?

A
  • variation in size
  • indicates:anemia
  • can be microcytic or macrocytic
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18
Q

What is Macrocytosis?

A
  • abnormal amount of cells larger than normal size
  • indicate: liver disease and Vitamin B12 deficency
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19
Q

What is Microcytosis?

A
  • abnormal amout of cells that are smaller than normal
  • indicates:iron deficency
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20
Q

What is MCV?

A
  • mean corpuscular volume
  • describes cells as being normocytic, macrocytic or microcytic
  • measures average volume of RBCs
21
Q

What is the normal values of MCV?

A

66-77fl (femtoliters)

22
Q

What is Poikilocytosis?

A
  • major deviation in normal shape of the RBC
  • umbrella term
23
Q

What are Shistocytes?

A
  • fragmented cells
  • formed as a result of shearing of the cell by fibrin strands
  • occurs when: RBC rapidly pass thru microvasuculature lined or meshed with strands
  • observed in hemolysis caused by: DIC, iron deficency
24
Q

What are Acanthocytes?

A
  • spur cells
  • projections vary in length, width and surface distribution
  • seen in animals with altered lipid metabolism (hepatic lipidosis, liver disease)
25
Q

What are Echinocytes?

A
  • burr cell
  • have multiple, small, delicate regular shaped spines evenly distributed
  • can be artificial
  • oven seen with slow drying blood films
  • crenation: slow drying blood films, underfilled EDTA tube
  • associated with: renal disease, lymphosarcoma, rattlesnake bites
  • seen in horses after exercise
26
Q

What is Crenation?

A
  • artifact
  • even membrane projections
  • commonly observed in pig blood
27
Q

What are Drepanocytes?

A
  • sickle cell
  • cresent shaped with pointed ends
  • often seen in deer and goats
  • result of: low oxygen tension
28
Q

What are Pre-Keratocytes?

A
  • cells with psuedovacuole
  • caused when cell bumped into fibrin strand
29
Q

What are Keratocytes?

A
  • helmet cells
  • also called bite cells
  • associated with trauma
  • psuedovacuole from pre-keratocyte ruptured
30
Q

What are Spherocytes?

A
  • have a reduced cell membrane strength
  • hyperchromatic
  • seen most frequently in Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia
  • usually seen in dogs
31
Q

What are Dacrocytes?

A
  • tear cells
  • seen in myeloproliferative diseases
  • can be produced as an artifact
32
Q

When is a Dacrocyte an artifact?

A
  • when all the tails point in the same direction
  • caused by improper blood smear
33
Q

What are Codocytes?

A
  • umbrella term
  • describes cells that have increased membrane surface area
34
Q

What cells are Codocytes?

A
  • target cell
  • folded cell
  • stomatocytes
35
Q

What are Folded Cells?

A
  • have rectangular central palor
  • associated with liver disease, acute alcoholism, electrolyte imbalances
36
Q

What are Stomatocytes?

A
  • resemble smiling mouth
  • associated with hereditary diseases, liver disease, electrolyte imbalance
37
Q

What are Target Cells?

A
  • mainly in dogs
  • have increased membrane to volume ratio
  • thin bell shaped cells
  • indicatd liver disease or hemoglobinopathies
  • may be seen as artifact
38
Q

How is a Target Cell created as an artifact?

A

-when smears are made in high humidity or blown dry

39
Q

What are structures found on/in erythrocytes?

A
  • nucleated RBC
  • basophilic stippling
  • howell jolly bodies
  • heinz bodies
  • reticulocytes
40
Q

What are Nucleated Red Blood Cells?

A

-represent early release of immature RBC during anemia

41
Q

What is Basophilic Stippling?

A
  • observed in RBCs that contain abnormal aggregation of RNA
  • observed in heavy metal poisioning, non regenerative anemia, erythrogenesis
  • dogs, cats, ruminants
42
Q

What are Howell Jolly Bodies?

A
  • nuclear remnants observed in young RBC
  • observed in cats and horses
  • seen in regenerative anemia
  • also seen with spleen disease or spleen removal
43
Q

What are Heinz Bodies?

A
  • particles of denatured hemoglobin protein
  • stain with new methylene blue
  • onion toxicity
  • acetaminophine toxicity
  • spleen lyses cells
44
Q

What % of Heinz Bodies do cats normally have?

A

2-3%

45
Q

What are Reticulocytes?

A
  • immature RBC
  • contain organells lost in mature cell
  • have 2 types
46
Q

What are the 2 types of Reticulocytes?

A
  • aggregate
  • punctate
47
Q

What are Aggregate Reticulocytes?

A
  • form large clumps of reticulum
  • mature into punctate form within 24 hours
48
Q

What are Punctate Reticulocytes?

A
  • unique to cats
  • contain 2-8 single granules
  • circulate for 7-10 days
49
Q
A