Primary Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissue ›› Bone Marrow ›› Abnormal

Plasmablast (Immature plasma cell)*


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› Microscopic Features:

• 3-4x larger than a mature RBC
• Round eccentricly placed nucleus with less mature chromatin
• Moderate amount of basophilic (blue) cytoplasm with prominent perinuclear hof (clearing)
• Nucleoli are Prominent

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

• PB: None
• BM: None
• LN: None

› May Resemble:

• Polychromatophilic normoblast [Compare]
• Plasma cell (mature) [Compare]
• Myeloblast [Compare]
• Osteoblast
• Pronormoblast [Compare]
• Monoblast [Compare]
• Reactive lymphocyte [Compare]

› Differential Diagnoses:

Plasma cell myeloma (plasmablastic form) Plasmablastic lymphoma Plasma cell leukemia

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• CD138+
• CD38 bright+
• CD19-
• CD56- (more common)
• CD20-
• Cytoplasmic light chain restricted (kappa only or lambda only)

› Cartoon Image:


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› Misc:

• Rarely found in normal bone marrow and rarely noted in non-neoplastic conditions