Blood/Blood Cells and Cellular Components ›› Red Blood Cells ›› Abnormal

Elliptocyte (Ovalocyte)*


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Additional Image 1 Additional Image 2

› Microscopic Features:

• Same size or slightly larger than a normal RBC
• Usually longer and narrower than normal RBC
• Usually has a central pallor
• Some may be egg-shaped and some may be rod-like (sometimes referred to as pencil cells)

› Normal % blood-PB, marrow-BM, lymphoid tissue-LN:

• PB: Rare to None
• BM: Rare to None
• LN: Rare to None

› May Resemble:

• Teardrop cell [Compare]
• Macrocytic RBC [Compare]
• Normal Mature RBC [Compare]

› Differential Diagnoses:

Increased in: Severe iron deficiency anemia Hereditary elliptocytosis Thalassemia (sometimes)

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• N/A

› Cartoon Image:


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› Misc:

• Similar to what is noted in Hereditary Stomatocytosis & Hereditary Spherocytosis (HS), Hereditary Elliptocytosis is also due to an underlying RBC membrane defect (the membrane defect in Hereditary Elliptocytosis is in many instances due to spectrin, ankyrin, or protein 4.1).