Poikilocytosis is variation in the shapes of

red blood cells Red blood cells (RBCs), also referred to as red cells, red blood corpuscles (in humans or other animals not having nucleus in red blood cells), haematids, erythroid cells or erythrocytes (from Greek language, Greek ''erythros'' for "red" and ''k ...

. Poikilocytes may be oval, teardrop-shaped, sickle-shaped or irregularly contracted. Normal red blood cells are round, flattened disks that are thinner in the middle than at the edges. A ''poikilocyte'' is an abnormally-shaped red blood cell. Generally, poikilocytosis can refer to an increase in abnormal red blood cells of any shape, where they make up 10% or more of the total population of red blood cells.

Types

Membrane abnormalities

Acanthocyte Acanthocyte (from the Greek word ἄκανθα ''acantha'', meaning 'thorn'), in biology and medicine, refers to an abnormal form of red blood cell that has a spiked cell membrane, due to thorny projections. A similar term is spur cells. Often ...

s or Spur/Spike cells #

Codocyte Codocytes, also known as target cells, are red blood cells that have the appearance of a shooting target with a bullseye. In optical microscopy these cells appear to have a dark center (a central, hemoglobinized area) surrounded by a white ring ( ...

s or Target cells #

Echinocytes Echinocyte (from the Greek word ''echinos'', meaning 'hedgehog' or 'sea urchin'), in human biology and medicine, refers to a form of red blood cell that has an abnormal cell membrane characterized by many small, evenly spaced thorny projections.Me ...

and Burr cells #

Elliptocyte Elliptocytes, also known as ovalocytes, are abnormally shaped red blood cells that appear oval or elongated, from slightly egg-shaped to rod or pencil forms. They have normal central pallor with the hemoglobin appearing concentrated at the ends ...

s and

Ovalocyte Hereditary elliptocytosis, also known as ovalocytosis, is an inherited blood disorder in which an abnormally large number of the person's red blood cells are elliptical rather than the typical biconcave disc shape. Such morphologically distinctive ...

s # Spherocytes # Stomatocytes or Mouth cells # Drepanocytes or Sickle Cells #

Degmacyte A degmacyte or bite cell is an abnormally shaped mature red blood cell with one or more semicircular portions removed from the cell margin, known as "bites". These "bites" result from the mechanical removal of denatured hemoglobin during splenic f ...

s or "bite cells"

Trauma

Dacrocyte A dacrocyte (or dacryocyte) is a type of poikilocyte that is shaped like a Tears, teardrop (a "teardrop cell"). A marked increase of dacrocytes is known as dacrocytosis. These tear drop cells are found primarily in diseases with bone marrow fibros ...

s or Teardrop Cells # Keratocytes # Microspherocytes and Pyropoikilocytes #

Schistocyte A schistocyte or schizocyte (from Greek for "divided" and for "hollow" or "cell") is a fragmented part of a red blood cell. Schistocytes are typically irregularly shaped, jagged, and have two pointed ends. Several microangiopathic diseases, ...

s # Semilunar bodies

Diagnosis

Poikilocytosis may be diagnosed with a test called a

blood smear A blood smear, peripheral blood smear or blood film is a thin layer of blood smeared on a glass microscope slide and then stained in such a way as to allow the various blood cells to be examined microscopically. Blood smears are examined in the ...

. During a blood smear, a medical technologist spreads a thin layer of blood on a microscope slide and stains the blood to help differentiate the cells. The technologist then views the blood under a microscope, where the sizes and shapes of the red blood cells can be seen.

Treatment

In all cases, the treatment of poikilocytosis depends on its cause. For example, poikilocytosis can be caused by a vitamin deficiency (e.g. vitamin B₁₂,

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

), in which case the treatment is to replenish the deficient vitamin. It can be caused by a digestive disease, such as

celiac disease Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and barl ...

, in which case the solution may lie in treating the underlying celiac disease so that nutrients can be properly absorbed.

Etymology

The term derives from ''poikilos'' (''ποικίλος''), which means "varied" in Greek . Triantafyllidis Online Lexicon
ποικιλόθερμος, Retrieved on 2007-01-12

References

External links

{{Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings Red blood cell disorders Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings for RBCs