Heinz bodies

Heinz bodies

Heinz bodies are misshapen circulating red blood cells with inclusions of denatured haemoglobin due to oxidative damage.

They may be seen in conditions such as glucose-6- phosphatase deficiency , α-thalassemia and after splenectomy

Heinz bodies are formed by damage to the hemoglobin component molecules, usually through oxidations, which causes the damaged molecules to precipitate and damage the cell membrane. Damaged cells are attacked by macrophages in the spleen, where the precipitate and damaged membrane is removed, leading to characteristic " bite cells". The denaturing process is irreversible and the continual elimination of damaged cells leads to Heinz body anemia

Heinz bodies , Heinz-Ehrlich bodies coccoid inclusion bodies resulting from oxidative injury to and precipitation of hemoglobin, seen in the presence of abnormal hemoglobins such as Hb H, Hb Köln, etc. and in erythrocytes with enzyme deficiencies. Refractile in fresh blood smears, they are not visible when stained with Romanowsky dyes but may be stained supravitally. .

Spherocytes

Spherocytes

Spherocytes are red blood cells that are almost spherical in shape. They have no area of central pallor like a normal red blood cell. Large spherocytes (macrospherocytes) are seen in hemolytic anemia. Small spherocytes (microspherocytes) are sometimes seen in severe burn cases.

A variety of spherical forms are seen in hereditary spherocytosis. The cells depicted in this image are from a patient with hereditary spherocytosis.

Dohle bodies

Dohle bodies

Discrete round or oval body's ranging in diameter from just visible to 2 um, which stain sky blue to gray blue with Romanowsky stains, found in neutrophils of patients with infections, burns, trauma, pregnancy, or cancer.

Howell-Jolly bodies

These images were taken from the 1997 Cytohematology Proficiency Test Event - Slide 005. Howell-Jolly bodies are round, purple staining nuclear fragments of DNA in the red blood cell. They are usually observed singly in hemolytic anemia, following splenectomy, and in cases of splenic atrophy. Multiple Howell-Jolly bodies may be observed in cases of megaloblastic anemia.