PATH - Pathologic RBCs

Question 1

Acanthocyte (“spur cell”)

Answer 1

Liver disease abetalipoproteinemia (states of cholesterol dysregulation)

Question 2

Basophilic stippling

Answer 2

Lead poisoning
sideroblastic anemias
myelodysplastic syndromes

Question 3

Dacrocyte (“teardrop cell”)

Answer 3

Bone marrow infiltration (eg,
myelofibrosis)

“RBC “sheds a tear” because it’s mechanically squeezed out of its home in the bone marrow”

Question 4

Degmacyte (“bite cell”)

Answer 4

G6PD deficiency

Question 5

Echinocyte (“burr cell”)

Answer 5

End-stage renal disease
liver disease
pyruvate kinase deficiency

Different from acanthocyte; its projections are more uniform and smaller

Question 6

Elliptocyte

Answer 6

Hereditary elliptocytosis

-usually asymptomatic

Question 7

Macro-ovalocyte

Answer 7

Megaloblastic anemia

marrow failure

Question 8

Ringed sideroblast

Answer 8

Sideroblastic anemia

-Excess iron in mitochondria

Question 9

Schistocyte (helmet cell)

Answer 9

DIC
TTP/HUS
HELLP syndrome
mechanical hemolysis (eg, heart valve prosthesis)

Question 10

Sickle cell

Answer 10

Sickle cell anemia

Question 11

Spherocyte

Answer 11

Hereditary spherocytosis

drug- and infection-induced hemolytic anemia

Question 12

Target cell

Answer 12

HbC disease
Asplenia
Liver disease
Thalassemia

“HALT,” said the hunter to his
target.

Question 13

Heinz bodies

Answer 13

G6PD deficiency

Question 14

Howell-Jolly bodies

Answer 14

Seen in patients with functional hyposplenia or asplenia

Howell-Jolly bodies are normally removed from RBCs by splenic macrophages