Blood Films: Pathological Cell Forms

Key points

• Target cells: sickle-cell/thalassaemia, iron-deficiency anaemia, hyposplenism, liver disease
• 'Tear-drop' poikilocytes: myelofibrosis
• Spherocytes: hereditary spherocytosis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
• Basophilic stippling: lead poisoning, thalassaemia, sideroblastic anaemia, myelodysplasia
• Howell-Jolly bodies: hyposplenism
• Heinz bodies: G6PD deficiency, alpha-thalassaemia
• Schistocytes ('helmet cells'): intravascular haemolysis, mechanical heart valve, DIC, TTP/HUS
• 'Pencil' poikilocytes: iron-deficiency anaemia
• Burr cells (echinocytes): uraemia, pyruvate kinase deficiency
• Acanthocytes: abetalipoproteinaemia
• Hypersegmented neutrophils: megaloblastic anaemia