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

Basophilic Stippling*


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› Microscopic Features:

• Very small (dot-like) Blue or blue-gray granules distributed throughout the cytoplasm of RBCs
• Composed of ribosomes

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

• PB: None
• BM: None
• LN: None

› May Resemble:

• Pappenheimer bodies [Compare]
• Heinz bodies (seen with special stain only) [Compare]
• Howell-Jolly body [Compare]
• Hemoglobin H inclusion (seen with special stain only) [Compare]
• Malaria infection [Compare]
• Babesia infection [Compare]
• Giant platelets [Compare]
• Artifacts (e.g. Stain precipitate)

› Differential Diagnoses:

Lead poisoning Thalassemia Sickle cell anemia MDS

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• N/A

› Cartoon Image:


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for direct comparison
› Misc:

• Note: Basophilic stippling is ribosomal inclusions in RBCs, while Pappenheimer bodies are iron deposits, Heinz bodies are precipitated hemoglobin seen with special stain (He for Heinz and He for Hemoglobin), and Howell Jolly bodies are DNA remnants