Lecture 23 - RBC Morphology Flashcards
What is the anatomy of a normal RBC
biconcave disc
reddish color
central pallor
How is Rouleaux different from agglutination
Rouleaux is the stacking of RBCs while Agglutination looks like grape clusters
What species is Rouleaux normal in
Horses
What does Rouleaux indicate is increased
globulin
fibrinogen
What does agglutination indicate
immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
Polychromasia
blueish to purple cells
What correlates with polychromasia
very young reticulocytes
T/F: polychromasia indicate regenerative conditions
TRUE
in what species do we use aggregate reticulocytes? why?
cats; reference intervals are established and they can indicate a more immediate regenerative response
Hypochromasia
increased central pallor with a think rim of hemoglobin
What condition does hypochromasia indicate
iron deficiency
Anisocytosis
variability in cell size
Poikilocytosis
variability in cell shape
Why do RBCs become spherocytes
decreased surface area to volume
loss of membrane
What is the significance of spherocytes (what is the indication)
immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
What do low numbers of spherocytes indicate
zinc deficiency
fragmentation or oxidative hemolytic anemia
Ghost cells
pale, empty RBC membrane (lysed)
What do ghost cells indicate
acute intravascular hemolysis
Intravascular hemolysis
lysis of RBCs within the blood vessel - can lead to pink/red plasma (free hemoglobin)
extravascular hemolysis
destruction of RBCs by macrophages