Peripheral smear
Alternative names:
blood smear; differential stain
Normal values:
What abnormal results mean:
Red cell abnormalities such as anisocytosis (size), poikilocytosis (shape), hypochromia (lack of color), polychromatophilia (stainable with multiple colors), rouleaux (nonspecific coating by serum globulins) are graded on a 1-4+ scale:
1+: 25%
2+: 50%
3+: 75%
4+: 100% of cells affected
The presence of target cells may indicate: The presence of spherocytes may indicate: The presence of elliptocytes may indicate: - hereditary elliptocytosis
The presence of schistocytes may indicate: The presence of normoblasts may indicate: The presence of burr cells (echinocytes) may indicate: - artifact (induced result) from specimen preparation
- uremia
The presence of spur cells (acanthocytes) may indicate: The presence of teardrop cells may indicate: - myelofibrosis
- leukoerythroblastic anemia
- thalassemia major
- severe iron deficiency
The presence of Howell-Jolly bodies may indicate: The presence of siderocytes (with Prussian blue stain) may indicate: - post-splenectomy
- severe hemolysis (blood cell destruction)
The presence of Heinz bodies (with crystal violet stain) may indicate: - G6PD deficiency
- congenital hemolytic anemia
- unstable hemoglobin variant (unstable form of hemoglobin)
- alpha thalassemia
The presence of reticulocytes (more than 2% of total red cells; seen with special stain) may indicate: - hemolytic anemia or hemorrhage
The presence of basophilic stippling may indicate: The presence of sickle cells may indicate: Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:
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