Red Blood Cell Pathology

Question 1

What is anisocytosis?

Answer 1

Abnormal size

Question 2

What is poikilocytosis?

Answer 2

Abnormal shape

Question 3

What are elliptocytes seen in?

Answer 3

Hereditary elliptocytosis

Question 4

What are spherocytes?

Answer 4

Result from decreased erythrocyte membrane, and they may be seen in hereditary spherocytosis and in autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Question 5

What are target cells?

Answer 5

Result from increased erythrocyte membrane, and they may be seen in hemoglobinopathies, thalassemia, and liver disease

Question 6

What are acanthocytes?

Answer 6

Have irregular spicules on their surfaces; numerous acanthocytes can be seen in abetalipoproteinemia

Question 7

What are echinocytes (burr cells)?

Answer 7

Have smooth undulations on their surface; they may be seen in uremia or more commonly as an artifact

Question 8

What are schistocytes?

Answer 8

Erythrocyte fragments (helmet cells are a type od schistocyte); they can be seen in microangiopathic hemolytic anemias or traumatic hemolysis

Question 9

What are bite cells?

Answer 9

Erythrocytes with “bites” of cytoplasm being removed by splenic macrophages; they may be seen in G6PD deficiency

Question 10

What are teardrop cells (dacrocytes)?

Answer 10

May be seen in thalassemia and myelofibrosis

Question 11

What are sickle cells (drepanocytes)?

Answer 11

Seen in sickle cell anemia

Question 12

What are rouleaux?

Answer 12

“Stack of coins”
Erythrocytes lining up in a row.
Characteristic of multiple myeloma

Question 13

What is basophilic stippling?

Answer 13

Results from cytoplasmic remnants of RNA; it may indicate reticulocytosis or lead poisoning

Question 14

What are Howell-Jolly bodies?

Answer 14

Remnants of nuclear chromatin that may occur in severe anemias or patients without spleens

Question 15

What are pappenheimer bodies?

Answer 15

Composed of iron, and they may be found in the peripheral blood following splenectomy

Question 16

What are ring sideroblasts?

Answer 16

Iron trapped abnormally in mitochondria, forming a ring around nucleus; they can be seen in sideroblastic anemia

Question 17

What are heinz bodies?

Answer 17

Result from denatured hemoglobin; they can be seen with G6PD deficiency

Question 18

Examples of microcytic anemias

Answer 18

Iron deficiency
Thalassemia
Anemia of chronic disease
Sideroblastic anemia

Question 19

Examples of macrocytic anemia

Answer 19

Alcoholic liver disease
Megaloblastic anemia:
B12 deficiency
Folate deficiency

Question 20

Examples of normocytic anemia with low reticulocyte cell count

Answer 20

Marrow failure
Aplastic anemia
Myelofibrosis
Leukemia/Metastasis
Renal failure
Anemia of chronic diseases

Question 21

Examples of normocytic anemia with high reticulocyte cell count

Answer 21

Sickle cell anemia
G6PD deficiency
Hereditary spherocytosis
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)

Question 22

Examples of hemolytic anemias

Answer 22

Hereditary spherocytosis 
G6PD deficiency 
Sickle cell disease
Hemoglobin C disease
Thalassemia
PNH

Question 23

Examples of immunohemolytic anemias

Answer 23

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)
Cold AIHA
Blood transfusions
Hemolytic disease of the newborn

Question 24

Examples anemias of diminished erythropoiesis

Answer 24

Megaloblastic anemia (B12 and Folate deficiency)
Iron deficiency anemia
Anemia of chronic disease
Aplastic anemia
Myelophthisic anemia
Sideroblastic anemia

Question 25

What is anemia of chronic disease (AOCD)?

Answer 25

Characterized by iron being trapped in bone marrow macrophages, leading to decreased utilization of endogenous stores.

Question 26

What is hepcidin?

Answer 26

Negative regulator of iron uptake in the small intestine and of iron release from macrophages

Question 27

What is sideroblastic anemia?

Answer 27

Disorder in which the body has adequate iron stores, but is unable to incorporate the iron into hemoglobin

Question 28

What is hereditary spherocytosis?

Answer 28

Autosomal dominant disorder caused by a defect involving ankyrin and spectrin in the erythrocyte mebrane; this causes a decrease in the erythrocyte surface membrane

Question 29

What is paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)?

Answer 29

Hemolytic anemia caused by an acquired somatic mutation of a gene (PICA) that encodes an anchor for proteins (CD55 and CD59) in the cell membrane, causing complement mediated lysis of red cells, white cells and platelets.