Peripheral blood films Flashcards
Define anisocytosis
increased variation in size
Define poikilocytosis
increased variation in shape
Define spherocyte
small spherical cells lacking central pallor
What conditions can cause spherocytes?
hereditary spherocytosis
warm AIHA
Define target cells
cells with central and peripheral dark-staining areas separated by a clear area
What conditions can cause target cells?
thalassaemia, sickle cell, iron deficiency, liver disease
What conditions can cause teardrop cells?
myelofibrosis, extramedullary haematopoiesis
Define echinocyte
long projections from cell surface
Burr cells
Define acanthocyte
irregular outline
What conditions can cause acanthocytes?
liver disease
post-splenectomy
abetalipoproteinaemia
What conditions can cause small red cell fragments?
DIC
microangiopathy
cardiac valve replacement
Describe Howell-Jolly bodies
small nuclear inclusions normally removed by the spleen
What conditions can cause Howell-Jolly bodies?
post-splenectomy
hyposplenism
Describe Heinz bodies
precipitates of oxidised denatured haemoglobin
What condition can cause Heinz bodies?
Glucose-6-Phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD deficiency)
Define hypochromia
large area of central pallor
What can cause hypochromia?
reduced mean cell haemoglobin
Describe polychromasia (reticulocytosis)
large, bluish cells best seen on supravital staining with new methylene blue
Define rouleaux
red cell stacking
What conditions can cause rouleaux?
multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia
Define hypersegmented neutrophil
neutrophil nucleus containing >5 lobes
What can cause hypersegmented neutrophils?
megaloblastic anaemia
Define left shift of myeloid cells
immature myeloid cells (eg. band cells, metamyelocytes)
What conditions can cause blast cells?
acute myeloblastic or lymphoblastic leukaemia
