Teardrop cell
(dacryocyte)
Peripheral blood smear, Wright-Giemsa stain, 500x
Description:
Pear-shaped red cell. Seen with a broad spectrum of infiltrative disorders that disrupt the bone marrow architecture. Also seen with extramedullary hematopoiesis.
Pathobiology:
The abnormality is thought to be due to membrane damage to the red cell during maturation in a crowded bone marrow environment, damage at the time of exit from the bone marrow and subsequent circulation through the spleen.
Differential Diagnosis:
- Myelofibrosis
- Metastatic tumor in the bone marrow
- Extramedullary hematopoiesis
- Dyserythropoiesis
- Megaloblastic anemias
- Thalassemia- seen more with thalassemia major
- Acute leukemias
- Multiple myeloma
For all publication requests, please complete the image permission form and we will respond to your request shortly.
 |
Charles
E.
Hess,
M.D.,FACP [more information]
Professor of Internal Medicine
|
||||