Poikilocytosis
| Poikilocytosis | |
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| Examples of red blood cell types that can give rise to poikilocytosis. |
Poikilocytosis is variation in the shapes of red blood cells. Poikilocytes may be oval, teardrop-shaped, sickle-shaped or irregularly contracted.
Normal red blood cells are round, flattened disks that are thinner in the middle than at the edges. A poikilocyte is an abnormally-shaped red blood cell.[1] Generally, poikilocytosis can refer to an increase in abnormal red blood cells of any shape, where they make up 10% or more of the total population of red blood cells.
Types
Membrane abnormalities
- Acanthocytes or Spur/Spike cells
- Codocytes or Target cells
- Echinocytes and Burr cells
- Elliptocytes and Ovalocytes
- Spherocytes
- Stomatocytes or Mouth cells
- Drepanocytes or Sickle Cells
- Degmacytes or "bite cells"
Trauma
- Dacrocytes or Teardrop Cells
- Keratocytes
- Microspherocytes and Pyropoikilocytes
- Schistocytes
- Semilunar bodies
Diagnosis
Poikilocytosis may be diagnosed with a test called a blood smear. During a blood smear, a medical technologist/clinical lab scientist spreads a thin layer of blood on a microscope slide and stains the blood to help differentiate the cells. The technologist/clinical lab scientist then views the blood under a microscope, where the sizes and shapes of the red blood cells can be seen.[2]
Treatment
In all cases, the treatment of poikilocytosis depends on its cause. For example, poikilocytosis can be caused by a vitamin deficiency (e.g. vitamin B12, folic acid), in which case the treatment is to replenish the deficient vitamin. It can be caused by a digestive disease, such as celiac disease, in which case the solution may lie in treating the underlying celiac disease so that nutrients can be properly absorbed.[citation needed]
Etymology
The term derives from poikilos (ποικίλος), which means "varied" in Greek . [3][4]
See also
References
- ^ Barbara J. Bain (2006). Blood cells: a practical guide. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-1-4051-4265-6. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ Ford, J. (June 2013). "Red blood cell morphology". International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. 35 (3): 351–357. doi:10.1111/ijlh.12082. PMID 23480230.
- ^ (in Greek) Triantafyllidis Online Lexicon, ποικιλόθερμος, Retrieved on 2007-01-12
- ^ "poikilo-". Wiktionary. Retrieved 14 October 2011.