Blood Film Interpretation
It may be required of you to interpret blood films. Although students find this daunting, it is actually quite easy. It is necessary to memorise the appearance of the common abnormalities as well as the causes of these.
Target Cell
Thalassaemia, liver disease
Microcytic anaemia: Pale and Small
Find Those Small Cells
: Fe deficiency, Thalassaemia, Sideroblastic, Chronic
disease
Hypersegmented neutrophil (>7 lobules)
B12 deficiency. Subacute combined deficiency of the cord
Agglutination
Cold agglutin disease (autoimmune haemolytic anaemia)
Sickle cells
Sickle cell anaemia
Roleaux
Myeloma. Due to high protein
Reed Sternberg Cell
Hodgkins Lymphoma
Inclusion bodies/basophilic stippling
Lead poisoning
Signet rings
Malaria. Can only be in a few cells.
Atypical lymphocyte
Infection, often EBV
Tear drop cells
Myelofibrosis
Heinz bodies
Unstable Hbg state, often G6PD deficiency
Bite cell
G6PD deficiency
Leukoerythroblastic (immature rbcs, wbcs)
Bone marrow infiltration, myelofibrosis, sepsis, haemoloysis
Auer rod
Acute myeloid leukaemia
Howel Jolly bodies
Splenectomy, in haemolytic anaemia, in percicious anaemia, in thalassaemia, and in leukaemia
Ancanthocyte
Splenectomy, haemolytic anaemia, pernicious anaemia, thalassaemia, and in leukaemia
