Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyHematology and Oncology

Match each classic peripheral blood smear or bone marrow finding to its most likely associated hematologic diagnosis.

  • Auer rodsAcute myeloid leukemia
  • Smudge cellsChronic lymphocytic leukemia
  • Howell-Jolly bodiesSickle cell disease
  • Bite cells and Heinz bodiesGlucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency

Answer

Auer rods indicate Acute myeloid leukemia; Smudge cells indicate Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Howell-Jolly bodies indicate Sickle cell disease; Bite cells and Heinz bodies indicate Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
Each peripheral smear finding is a classic hallmark of its respective disease process, reflecting the underlying pathophysiology such as cell fragility, absent splenic pitting, or specific intracellular inclusions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the lineage and pathogenesis associated with Auer rods.
Auer rods are pathognomonic for myeloblasts.
They consist of fused primary granules seen in acute myeloid leukemia.
2
Determine the origin of smudge cells on a peripheral smear.
Smudge cells represent fragile neoplastic lymphocytes.
This extreme fragility is a classic hallmark of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
3
Recall the physiologic mechanism of splenic pitting regarding red blood cell inclusions.
The spleen removes nuclear remnants known as Howell-Jolly bodies.
Sickle cell disease leads to autoinfarction and functional asplenia, allowing these bodies to remain in circulation.
4
Correlate bite cells and Heinz bodies with their underlying metabolic defect.
These inclusions occur due to oxidative damage to hemoglobin.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency impairs the red blood cell's ability to resist oxidative stress.

Key Concept

Classic pathognomonic findings on peripheral blood smears are essential for identifying specific hematologic malignancies and red blood cell disorders.
Rate this question

Topics

Hematology and Oncology

More questions from this topic