RBC Path Flashcards
What is Anisocytosis vs. Poikilocytosis?
Anisocytosis: change in blood cell size
Poikilocytosis: change in blood cell shape
Marker on Pluripotent stem cells in bone marrow.
CD34+
Top two causes for chronic blood loss.
- GI bleeding
2. Irregular Menstrual Bleeding
Major cause of anemia due to decreased hematopoiesis.
Iron Deficiency
Giemsa stain feature of anemia due to iron deficiency.
Microcytic/Hypochromic
-RBCs are normally similar in size to lymphocytes
Stain used to detect iron in a blood sample.
Prussian Blue
Describe the lab tests for Iron Deficiency anemia:
- Serum Fe:
- Serum Ferritin:
- Serum Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC):
- Transferrin Saturation:
- Decreased
- Decreased
- Increased
- Low
Describe Plummer Vinson Syndrome.
Condition with esophageal webs, and iron deficiency anemia. It most usually occurs in postmenopausal women
Two major causes of megaloblastic anemia.
- Vit. B12 deficiency
2. Folic Acid Deficiency
What is pernicious anemia?
Autoimmune destruction of parietal cells in the stomach. This leads to decreased intrinsic factor secretion and no absorption of B12 leading to megaloblastic anemia
Characteristic of neutrophils in megaloblastic anemia.
Hypersegmented nuclei due to inability to divide.
What 3 categories of chronic diseases can lead to megaloblastic anemia?
- Chronic Infectious Disease
- Chronic Autoimmune Disease
- Malignant Neoplasms
Describe the lab tests for anemia due to chronic diseases and explain why these values are observed:
- Serum Fe:
- Serum Ferritin
- TIBC:
- Transferrin Saturation:
- Decreased or normal
- Normal or Increased
- Decreased
- Normal
The defect is in iron incorporation into Hb molecules during erythropoiesis.
Ferritin can increase because it is an acute phase protein that rises early in inflammation (infection). This is also why serum iron levels can be decreased b/c they are bound to the excess ferritin
What is aplastic anemia?
Anemia due to damaged bone marrow stem cells. All 3 myeloid lineages are affected.
- Erythroid
- Myeloid Granulocyte
- Megakaryocyte
What is Fanconi Anemia.
Aplastic anemia due to an autosomal recessive defect in DNA repair of bone marrow stem cells.
Disease association of Pure Red Cell Aplasia.
Thymoma
-usually causes an autoimmune reaction that also affects RBC precursor cells
What is Myelophthisic Anemia.
Low blood cell count because the bone marrow space is replaced by scar tissue or neoplasms. Decreases the amount of the bone marrow stem cells and the ability for mature blood cells to exit the marrow cavity.
Characteristic blood cell shape in Myelophthisic Anemia.
Dakryocytic Cells
How can organ failure lead to anemia?
Kidney failure leads to decreased erythropoietin production.
Giemsa stain characteristic in cases of Hemolytic Anemia.
Schistocytes
-RBC fragments from lysed RBCs
What lab values are expected in any hemolytic anemia:
- Hb levels
- Haptoglobin
- Lactate Dehydrogenase levels
- Reticulocyte Levels
- Decrease
- Decrease
- Increased (lysed RBCs release the major energy producing enzyme they have)
- Incraesed
2 sites of extravascular hemolytic anemias.
Liver and Spleen
-RBC components usually get stuck in these organs causing hepatomegaly and splenomegaly
Primary cause of Hereditary Spherocytosis leading to hemolytic anemia.
Mutated Spectrin protein (others exist but are less common)
-forms a very fragile RBC