UNIT 1 - Lecture 3: Anemia

Question 1

What are general causes of anemia?

Answer 1

1. Increased RBC loss (hemorrhage)
2. increased RBC destruction (hemolysis)
3. Decreased production

Question 2

Renal hypoxia stimulates _____ release from the _____.

Answer 2

EPO, kidney

Question 3

How long does RBC maturation take?

Answer 3

~3-5 days

Question 4

What are the RIs for anemia in dogs?

Answer 4

Mild = 30-36%

Moderate = 18-29%

Severe = <18%

Question 5

What are the RIs for anemia in cats?

Answer 5

Mild = 25-30%

Moderate = 15-25%

Severe = <15%

Question 6

How would you describe a dog with PCV 14% and MCV/MCHC WRI?

Answer 6

severe, normocytic, normochromic anemia

Question 7

How would you describe a cat with PCV 20%, increased MCV, and decreased MCHC?

Answer 7

moderate, macrocytic, hypochromic anemia

Question 8

What things should you look for with regen anemia in non-horse spp?

Answer 8

1. Decreased MCHC
2. Increased MCV
3. Reticulocytosis
4. Polychromasia on smear

Question 9

What should you look for in marrow with regen anemia?

Answer 9

RBC hyperplasia (increased # of RBC precursors)

Question 10

What are the RIs for regeneration in the dog?

Answer 10

None = <60K - 80K

Minimal = 80K - 100K

Mild = 100K - 150K

Moderate = 150K to 300K

Marked = >300K

Question 11

What are the RIs for regeneration in the cat?

Answer 11

None = <50K

Minimal = 50K - 80K

Mild = 80K - 100K

Moderate = 100K - 200K

Marked = >200K

Question 12

What spp might have low #s of nRBC in healthy animals?

Answer 12

Dogs, cats, and camelids

Question 13

When do you have to correct the WBC count?

Answer 13

If there are ~ or > 5 nRBCs / 100 WBCs in circulation

Question 14

What is rubricytosis? What is it associated with?

Answer 14

Increased nRBCs in blood;

associated with regeneration

Question 15

Why is rubricytosis not a specific indicator of regeneration?

Answer 15

It can occur in non-anemic animals

Question 16

What are causes for inappropriate rubricytosis?

Answer 16

1. Damage to marrow (hypoxia, inflammation, neoplasia, fx, lead poisoning, heat stroke)
2. Splenic changes (EMH, contraction, splenectomy)

Question 17

What is basophilic stippling? When is it seen?

Answer 17

Spontaneous aggregation of rRNA in RBC cytoplasm;

Seen with regen (esp rmts), lead poisoning

Question 18

What is the umbrella term for abnormally shaped RBCs?

Answer 18

poikilocytes

Question 19

What are echinocytes?

Answer 19

Spiculated RBCs with evenly distributed, fairly uniform, short projections

Question 20

What are artifactual causes for echinocytes? Drugs? Disease?

Answer 20

Artifact = aged, blood, excess EDTA, RBC dehydration, increased pH

Drugs = salicylates, phenylbutazone, furosemide, chemo

Disease = lytes depletion, renal dz, PK deficiency, snake venom, bee sting

Question 21

Echinocytes are most commonly _____ with little pathogenic relevance.

Answer 21

artifactual

Question 22

What are target cells (codocytes)?

Answer 22

Cells with increased surface to vol ratio; only observed in dogs (normal in low #s)

Question 23

What diseases can target cells be associated with?

Answer 23

Iron deficiency anemia, liver dz, hypothyroidism

Question 24

What are stomatocytes? When are they seen?

Answer 24

RBCs with elongated areas of central pallor;

Seen in low #s with regen anemia, liver dz, plumbism

Question 25

How can stomatocytes show up artifactually?

Answer 25

Smear too thick

Question 26

What spp are stomatocytes a normal finding in?

Answer 26

Woodchucks, manatees, dolphins

Question 27

What are drepanocytes? When do they occur?

Answer 27

Sickle-shaped RBCs;

Occur due to variants in Hgb after exposure to atmospheric O2 or with alkalosis

Question 28

In what spp do drepanocytes occur?

Answer 28

Deer, antelope, sheep, goats, mongoose, genet

Question 29

What are ovalocytes/elliptocytes?

Answer 29

Elongated RBCs;

Of little to no clinical relevance in low #s

Question 30

When can ovalocytes be artifact? When can they be seen with disease?

Answer 30

Can be created during smear prep;

Can be seen with liver dz, myelofibrosis, glomerulonephritis, spectrin 4.1 defects, marrow dz

Question 31

What are Howell-Jolly bodies? What spp can they be seen in?

Answer 31

Small fragment of nuclear material not extruded as the RBC left the marrow (1 per RBC);

Can be seen in low #s in healthy horses and cats (not in dogs and rmts)

Question 32

When can we see increased #s of Howell-Jolly bodies?

Answer 32

Regen anemia, corticosteroid admin or after splenectomy

Question 33

What are dracocytes? When can they be seen (artifact and pathological)?

Answer 33

Tear-dropped shaped RBCs;

Artifact = smear prep

Disease = marrow dz