23 March 2018 (Friday) - DM 1801





I got the results of the NEQAS digital morphology DM1801 today.

"A man aged 45 new to the area attends the haematology clinic. Hb 118, WBC 4.6, Plts 202. A blood film is requested as part of his diagnostic work up."

Well, this information isn't really realistic, is it? People don't just roll up to the haematology clinic unannounced. Do they ?

 Initially this slide looks rather hypochromic and a tad microcytic with misshapen cells, red cell fragments seen and a nucleated red cell. There is some polychromasia and is that a couple of Howell-Jolly bodies or am I seeing poorly stained platelets? I think there are target cells there, but the slide is rather pale.
The neutrophils are right shifted too. the lymphocytes look a tad reactive, but don't they always?

 As for what it was.... was there some thalassaemic changes?

Turns out it was HbCC with iron deficiency. I didn’t see the HbC crystals. But then they aren’t something I see every day. I need to improve on that. But that’s what CPD is all about…



No comments:

Post a Comment