Term | definition/description |
Reticulocyte | Immature RBC, still contain organells, stain grey-blue, <1% of RBC's |
nRBC | nucleated red blood cell, seen during severe anemia, shows as a nucleated WBC on differential leukocyte ct. |
Cobalt | ruminants, B-12 molecule, excess causes polycythemia |
Polycythemia | decrease in RBC |
Anisocytosis | a medical term meaning that a patient's red blood cells are of unequal size. This is found in anemia and other blood conditions |
Polychromasia | variation in the hemoglobin content of erythrocytes. |
Hypochromasia | abnormal decrease in the hemoglobin content of the erythrocytes. Pale color |
Poikilocytosis | presence in the blood of erythrocytes showing abnormal variation in shape; acanthocyte, echinocyte, leptocyte, spherocyte, schistocyte |
acanthocyte | A red blood cell characterized by multiple spiny cytoplasmic projections and found in acanthocytosis dogs and liver disease. |
echinocyte | burr cell, crenated or dehydrated, improper blood smear |
Leptocyte | An abnormally thin or flattened red blood cell having a central rounded pigmented area, a middle pigmentless zone, and a pigmented edge. Target and folded cells |
Spherocyte | a small, globular, completely hemoglobinated erythrocyte without the usual central pallor characteristically found in hereditary spherocytosis but also in acquired hemolytic anemia. rigid, destroyed by spleen |
Schistocytes | RBC fragments, assoc with anemia |
Howell Jolly bodies | RBC with nuclear remnants, increase in RBC regenerative anemia, depressed spleenic function. These are nuclear remnants, left behind when the nucleus was extruded from the erythroblast. Dark stained belly buttons. |
heinz bodies | Intraerythrocytic denatured hemoglobin, new methlyene blue, inclusion bodies resulting from oxidative injury to and precipitation of hemoglobin; Heinz bodies (arrows) project from the surface of red blood cells nose/nipple |
Agglutination | clumping of RBC's, AIHA, Coombs test |
Rouleaux | rolos, stacks of coin appearance, increase in protein and fibrinogen normal in equines |
Polycythemia | increase in RBC, may be due to dehydration |
MCV | Mean corpuscular vol; MCV = PCV * 10 / RBC |
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin | Mean weight of Hb contained in avg RBC; MCH = Hb * 10/RBC(millions) |
Mean corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration | concentration of Hb in avg RBC; color intensity; MCHC = Hb * 100/ PCV % |
Hypochromic | < Hb is greater then the avg decrease in RBC volume |
Anemia | regenrative; non-regenerative; pale MM, exercise intolerence; lethargy |