Basophilic Stippling
(Punctate Basophilia)
Peripheral blood smear, Wright-Giemsa, 1000x
Description:
Small basophilic inclusions distributed throughout the red cell cytoplasm. Increased numbers of basophilic stippled red cells are seen in a diverse group of red cell disorders, and small numbers are seen on normal peripheral blood smears.
Pathobiology:
The stippled material is composed of RNA and represents aggregates of ribosomes.
Differential diagnosis:
- Thalassemias (stippling may be coarse)
- Megaloblastic anemias
- Lead and other heavy metal poisoning (stippling is coarse)
- Dyserythropoiesis of whatever etiology (stippling usually fine)
- Unstable hemoglobinopathies
- Liver disease (stippling fine)
- Hereditary pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase deficiency (stippling coarse)
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Charles
E.
Hess,
M.D.,FACP [more information]
Professor of Internal Medicine
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