Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Diagnosis is typically based on blood tests that find high numbers of mature lymphocytes and smudge cells. [5] This is an example of how a smudge cell looks on a peripheral blood smear, which is a common finding in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Acanthocytes, from peripheral blood, under light microscopy. Note the irregularly shaped, non-circular cells in the image. Acanthocyte (from the Greek word ἄκανθα acantha, meaning 'thorn'), in biology and medicine, refers to an abnormal form of red blood cell that has a spiked cell membrane, due to thorny projections.
In optical microscopy these cells appear to have a dark center (a central, hemoglobinized area) surrounded by a white ring (an area of relative pallor), followed by dark outer (peripheral) second ring containing a band of hemoglobin. However, in electron microscopy they appear very thin and bell shaped (hence the name codo-: bell).
Normal red blood cells are round, flattened disks that are thinner in the middle than at the edges. A poikilocyte is an abnormally-shaped red blood cell. [1] Generally, poikilocytosis can refer to an increase in abnormal red blood cells of any shape, where they make up 10% or more of the total population of red blood cells.
A marked increase of dacrocytes is known as dacrocytosis. These tear drop cells are found primarily in diseases with bone marrow fibrosis, such as: primary myelofibrosis, myelodysplastic syndromes during the late course of the disease, rare form of acute leukemias and myelophthisis caused by metastatic cancers.
Spherocytosis can be diagnosed in Peripheral blood film by seeing spherical red blood cells rather than biconcave. Because spherical red blood cells are more prone to lysis in water (because they lack some proteins in their cytoskeleton) there will be increased osmotic fragility on acidified glycerol lysis test. [citation needed]
Qualitative abnormalities of white blood cells, like toxic granulation, are also visible on the blood smear. Modern complete blood count analyzers can provide an automated white blood cell differential, but they have a limited ability to differentiate immature and abnormal cells, so manual examination of the blood smear is frequently indicated.
Rare elliptocytes (less than 1%) on a peripheral blood smear are a normal finding. [citation needed] These abnormal red blood cells are seen in higher numbers in the blood films of patients with blood disorders such as: [4] Hereditary elliptocytosis and Southeast Asian ovalocytosis; Thalassemia; Iron deficiency; Myelodysplastic syndrome and ...