6 December 2024 (Friday) - NEQAS 2407

I got hold of the results of NEQAS 2407 BF today…
 
2407 BF1
 
I said:
 

Rbc   Macrocytes Anisopoik Echinocytes Rbc fragments Nucleated Rbs

Wbc   Myelocytes (and pro-) Dysplastic neutrophils Bi-lobed neutrophils Smear cells  Vacuolation Occasional blast

Plt   Low plts Giant platelets

 
Top ten reported comments were
 
Nucleated RBCs
Thrombocytopenia
Blast Cells
Echinocytes/Crenated Cells
Left Shift
Promyelocytes
Myelocytes
Fragments/Schistocytes
Large/Giant Platelets
Acanthocytes
I felt this was a case of Myelodysplasia. It wasn’t – it was a case of severe sepsis. I spotted all the salient features, and can’t help but feel that (as is the case in all NEQAS exercises) we are deliberately hobbled by a total lack of clinical information and lack of blood count information.
 
 
2407 BF2
 

I said:
 

Rbc   Rouleaux Tear drop cells NRBCs

Wbc   Neutropenia Blast cells

Plt   Low plts

 

Top ten reported comments were
 
Thrombocytopenia
Nucleated RBCs
Blast Cells
Neutropenia
Tear Drop Poikilocytes
Rouleaux
Polychromatic Cells
Poikilocytes
Hypochromic Cells
Macrocytes
 
I said this was “?? something nasty ? AML”.  
It was