Inclusions in red blood cells

• Malaria parasites

• Babesia sp. (sometimes not easy to differentiate from Plasmodium)

• Bartonella bacteria

• Superposition of a blood platelet on a red blood cell (the commonest source of mistakes)

• Precipitations of dyes (artefacts)

• Howell-Jolly nuclear residues (in asplenia, acute haemolysis or bleeding, bone marrow invasion, etc.)

• Pappenheimer bodies: iron inclusions, in sideroblastic anaemia and post-splenectomy among other conditions

• Basophilic granulation: RNA, prominent in thalassaemia, lead intoxication, antimitotics, megaloblastic anaemia

• Reticulocytes: young red blood cells

• Cabot rings: e.g. in megaloblastic anaemia

• Heinz bodies: precipitated denatured haemoglobin (G6PD deficiency, unstable Hb)

Category: Medicine Notes