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: Differential Diagnoses:

Lead poisoning
Thalassemia
Sickle cell anemia
MDS

Classic Immunophenotype:
  • N/A
Cartoon Image:



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RBC
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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



Content Editors/Website Administrators:
Hooman H. Rashidi, MD; John C. Nguyen, MD