Pathological RBC forms

Question 1

When do you see acanthocytes?

Answer 1

liver disease and abetalipoproteinemia

Question 2

When do you see basophilic stippling? (3)

Answer 2

lead poisoning
sideroblastic anemia
myelodysplastic syndromes

Question 3

What builds up in basophilic stippling?

Answer 3

rRNA

Question 4

When do you see Burr cells?

Answer 4

Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency

Question 5

When do you see ringed sideroblasts?

Answer 5

Sideroblastic Anemia, Lead Poisoning

Question 6

What builds up in Ringed Sideroblasts?

Answer 6

Iron in mitochondria

Question 7

Why do reticulocytes appear blue on Wright Giemsa stain?

Answer 7

rRNA

Question 8

When do you see target cells?

Answer 8

HALT

HbC, Asplenia, Liver Disease, Thalassemia

Question 9

When do you see Howell Jolly Bodies?

Answer 9

functional hyposplenia or asplenia

Sickle Cell Disease only

Question 10

What builds up in Howell Jolly Bodies?

Answer 10

Basophilic nuclear remnants

Question 11

When do you see Heinz Bodies?

Answer 11

G6PD deficiency

Question 12

What builds up in Heinz Bodies?

Answer 12

Oxidized Hb-SH groups leads to denatured Hb precipitation

Question 13

When do you see hexagonal/rhomboid Hb crystals?

Answer 13

Hb C or SC disease

Question 14

What are Pappenheimer Bodies?

Answer 14

Iron-containing granules in RBC

dark blue on Wright Giemsa Stain