Abnormal WBCs
This neutrophil has 6 or more nuclear lobes instead of the usual number.
What is a hypersegmented neutrophil?
I resemble a bull's-eye because hemoglobin is present centrally and around my outer edge with pallor in between.
What is a target cell (codocyte)?
I am an immature neutrophil. My nucleus is curved like a horseshoe or band but does not have distinct lobes connected by thin filaments.
What is a band neutrophil?
I am usually a single, round, densely staining nuclear remnant inside an RBC.
What is a Howell-Jolly body?
I am an elongated RBC with one end that tapers to a point, giving me my characteristic shape.
What is a dacrocyte (teardrop cell)?
This neutrophil contains coarse, dark cytoplasmic granules that are much more prominent than normal neutrophilic granules.
What is toxic granulation?
I am an RBC fragment and may appear helmet-shaped, triangular, or irregular after mechanical destruction.
What is a schistocyte?
I am an immature granulocyte. My nucleus is round to oval and has no indentation, and my cytoplasm contains developing granules.
What is a myelocyte?
I appear as multiple blue-purple dots scattered throughout the RBC rather than one discrete inclusion.
What is basophilic stippling?
It looks like someone took a bite out of my edge. I can form when splenic macrophages remove denatured hemoglobin from an RBC.
What is a bite cell (degmacyte)?
This pale blue cytoplasmic inclusion may be seen near the edge of a neutrophil and represents remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum.
What is a Döhle body?
I have irregularly spaced projections of varying length around my membrane. Don't confuse me with an echinocyte.
What is an acanthocyte?
I'm one step further along in granulocyte maturation. My nucleus has developed a noticeable indentation, giving it a kidney- or bean-shaped appearance.
What is a metamyelocyte?
I usually appear as a small, irregular cluster of iron-containing granules, often near the RBC membrane.
What are Pappenheimer bodies?
I am an RBC with a clear, blister-like area along my edge. With further membrane damage, I may become a bite cell.
What is a blister cell?
This lymphocyte may become large with abundant deeply basophilic cytoplasm that can skirt around neighboring RBCs.
What is a reactive lymphocyte?
I am elongated with pointed ends and may be described as crescent- or sickle-shaped.
What is a sickle cell (drepanocyte)?
I am a very immature hematopoietic cell. I typically have a high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, fine chromatin, and may have visible nucleoli.
What is a blast?
I am composed of denatured hemoglobin. Routine Wright stain isn't the best way to demonstrate me; a supravital stain is typically needed.
What is a Heinz body?
I form when a fragile WBC ruptures during preparation of the peripheral smear, leaving behind disrupted nuclear material.
What is a smudge cell?
This abnormal neutrophil has a hyposegmented nucleus, often appearing bilobed or “pince-nez” shaped.
What is a Pelger-Huët cell/anomaly?
I am an elongated oval or cigar-shaped RBC. Large numbers of me can be associated with hereditary membrane abnormalities, but I may also occur in other conditions.
What is an elliptocyte/ovalocyte?
I am an immature myeloid cell, but the presence of a reddish-purple needle-like cytoplasmic inclusion provides an important clue to my lineage.
What is a myeloblast with an Auer rod?
I appear as a ring or figure-eight structure within an RBC and am thought to represent remnants of the mitotic spindle.
What is a Cabot ring?
I am a very large phagocytic cell found primarily in tissues rather than circulating peripheral blood. I develop from a monocyte and may contain ingested cellular material in my abundant cytoplasm.
What is a macrophage?