Blood film Buzz Words Flashcards
Acanthocytes
(Spur/spike cells)
RBCs show many spicules
Liver disease, hyposplenism,
abetalipoproteinaemia (rare)
Basophilic RBC
stippling
Accelerated erythropoiesis or
defective Hb synthesis, small dots
at the periphery are seen (rRNA)
Lead poisoning, megaloblastic
anaemia, myelodysplasia, liver
disease, haemoglobinopathies e.g.
thalassaemia
Burr cells
(Echinocyte)
Like a sea urchin with regular
spicules
Often an artefact if blood has sat in
EDTA prior to film being made.
Uraemia, renal failure, GI bleeding,
stomach carcinoma
Heinz bodies
Inclusions on very edge of RBCs
due to denatured Hb
Glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase deficiency, chronic
liver disease
Howell-Jolly bodies
Basophilic (purple spot) nuclear
remnants in RBCs
[Note: much bigger purple spots
in nucleated RBCs)
Post-splenectomy or hyposplenism
(e.g. sickle cell disease, coeliac
disease, congenital, UC/Crohn’s,
myeloproliferative disease, amyloid)
Megaloblastic anaemia, hereditary
spherocytosis
Leucoerythroblastic
A phrase to denote the presence
of nucleated red blood cells and
myeloid precursors in peripheral
blood
Bone marrow infiltration i.e.
myelofibrosis, malignancy
Pelger Huet Cells
Hyposegmented neutrophil with 2
lobes like a dumbbell
Pseudo-pelger huet cells are also
hypogranular
Congenital (lamin B Receptor
mutation)
Acquired (myelogenous leukaemia
and myelodysplastic syndromes
[pseudo-pelger in MDS])
Polychromasia
Bluish red blood cells due to
presence of DNA. Polychromatic
cells are usually reticulocytes
which are immature RBCs
Usually increased naturally in
response to shortened RBC life
↑in haemolytic anaemias
↓aplastic anaemia, chemo
Right shift
Hypermature white cells -
hypersegmented polymorphs (>5
lobes to nucleus)
Megaloblastic anaemia, uraemia,
liver disease
Rouleaux formation
Red cells stacked on each other
Chronic inflammation,
paraproteinaemia, myeloma
Schistocytes
Fragmented parts of RBCs –
typically irregularly shaped with
sharp edges and no central pallor
Microangiopathic anaemia, e.g.
DIC, haemolytic uraemic syndrome,
thrombotic thrombocytopenic
purpura, pre-eclampsia
Spherocytes
Sphere shaped RBCs
Often a little smaller
Hereditary spherocytosis,
Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia
Stomatocytes
Central pallor is straight, curved
or rod-like shape. RBCs appear
as ‘smiling faces’ or ‘fish mouth’
Can be an artefact during slide
preparation.
If not: Hereditary stomatocytosis,
high alcohol intake, liver disease
Target cells
(codocyte)
Bull’s-eye appearance in central
pallor
Liver disease, hyposplenism,
thalassaemia, IDA
