Lecture 23 - RBC Morphology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the anatomy of a normal RBC

A

biconcave disc
reddish color
central pallor

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2
Q

How is Rouleaux different from agglutination

A

Rouleaux is the stacking of RBCs while Agglutination looks like grape clusters

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3
Q

What species is Rouleaux normal in

A

Horses

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4
Q

What does Rouleaux indicate is increased

A

globulin
fibrinogen

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5
Q

What does agglutination indicate

A

immune-mediated hemolytic anemia

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6
Q

Polychromasia

A

blueish to purple cells

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7
Q

What correlates with polychromasia

A

very young reticulocytes

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8
Q

T/F: polychromasia indicate regenerative conditions

A

TRUE

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9
Q

in what species do we use aggregate reticulocytes? why?

A

cats; reference intervals are established and they can indicate a more immediate regenerative response

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10
Q

Hypochromasia

A

increased central pallor with a think rim of hemoglobin

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11
Q

What condition does hypochromasia indicate

A

iron deficiency

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12
Q

Anisocytosis

A

variability in cell size

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13
Q

Poikilocytosis

A

variability in cell shape

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14
Q

Why do RBCs become spherocytes

A

decreased surface area to volume
loss of membrane

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15
Q

What is the significance of spherocytes (what is the indication)

A

immune-mediated hemolytic anemia

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16
Q

What do low numbers of spherocytes indicate

A

zinc deficiency
fragmentation or oxidative hemolytic anemia

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17
Q

Ghost cells

A

pale, empty RBC membrane (lysed)

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18
Q

What do ghost cells indicate

A

acute intravascular hemolysis

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19
Q

Intravascular hemolysis

A

lysis of RBCs within the blood vessel - can lead to pink/red plasma (free hemoglobin)

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20
Q

extravascular hemolysis

A

destruction of RBCs by macrophages

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21
Q

where do macrophages interact with RBCs

A

spleen, liver, bone marrow

22
Q

Eccentrocyte

A

cell membranes fuse and hemoglobin is pushed to one side giving a ruffled appearance

23
Q

If an eccentrocyte has lost its membrane it is called a _____

A

pyknocyte

24
Q

what do eccentrocytes indicate

A

oxidative damage

25
Q

Schistocytes

A

fragmentations of RBCs due to stress trauma

26
Q

What can schistocytes help diagnose

A
  • disseminated intravascular coagulation
  • hemangiosarcoma
  • liver disease
27
Q

what would help diagnose hepatic lipidosis in cats

A

schistocytes and acanthocytes

28
Q

Acanthocytes

A

cells with irregularly spaced blunted/spade-like projections with central pallor

29
Q

T/F: acanthocytes are best observed in canine RBCs

A

TRUE

30
Q

T/F: Acanthocytes do not indicate fragmentation injury like DIC or hemangiosarcoma

A

FALSE

31
Q

What is the difference between acanthocytes and echinocytes

A

echinocytes have evenly spaced projections and acanthocytes do not

32
Q

What are two factors that would cause similar artifact as an echinocyte on a blood smear

A
  1. slow drying
  2. old blood
33
Q

what do echinocytes indicate

A

dehydration
electrolyte loss
snake envenomation

34
Q

we would expect to see echinocytes in ______ due to the c3b deficiency that predisposes them to _____

A

Brittany spaniels; glomerulonephritis

35
Q

Keratocytes

A

blister cells
round, clear hole at edge that can rupture

36
Q

what 3 fragmentation injuries do keratocytes indicate

A
  1. mechanical damage
  2. DIC
  3. vasculitis
37
Q

Target cell

A

bell-shaped cell with extra membrane fold in center

38
Q

What is the most common indication of target cells

A

regenerative anemia

39
Q

Heinz bodies

A

denatured precipitated hemoglobin

40
Q

what are the two appearances of Heinz bodies when stained

A
  1. small, pale region of cytoplasm
  2. highlighted methylene blue stain
41
Q

what kind of damage do heinz bodies indicate

A

oxidative

42
Q

Howell-Jolly Bodies

A

remnant of nuclear material as a single, dark blue peripheral dot

43
Q

increased number of Howell-Jolly bodies indicates

A

regenerative anemia
dysfunctional/absent spleen

44
Q

nucleated RBCs

A

dark homogenous nucleus with a ruffled periphery

45
Q

increased nRBCs indicated

A

premature release (bone marrow) or failure to remove (spleen)

46
Q

T/F: rare nRBCs are OK

A

TRUE

47
Q

Rubricytosis

A

nRBCs in circulation

48
Q

“appropriate” rubricytosis is considered

A

a strongly regenerative anemia

49
Q

Basophilic stippling

A

residual aggregates of RNA that appear as basophilic dots throughout cytoplasm

50
Q

T/F: basophilic stippling is not considered appropriate in any species

A

FALSE - appropriate in ruminants (regeneration) and carnivores (marked regeneration)

51
Q

Inappropriate basophilic stippling can be caused by

A

lead toxicity
dyserythropoiesis