POIKILOCYTOSIS

Course overview

POIKILOCYTOSIS IS THE TERM USED FOR ABNORMAL-SHAPED RED BLOOD CELLS (RBCS) IN THE BLOOD. NORMAL RBCS (ALSO CALLED ERYTHROCYTES) ARE TYPICALLY DISK-SHAPED, ARE THINNER IN THE MIDDLE THAN IN THE EDGES, WITH A DIAMETER OF 6.2 TO 8.2 MICROMETERS, A THICKNESS AT THE THICKEST POINT OF 2 TO 2.5 MICROMETERS, AND A THICKNESS IN THE CENTER OF 0.8 TO 1 MICROMETERS. POIKILOCYTOSIS GENERALLY REFERS TO AN INCREASE IN ABNORMAL-SHAPED RED BLOOD CELLS THAT MAKE UP 10% OR MORE OF THE TOTAL RED BLOOD CELLS. POIKILOCYTES MAY BE FLAT, ELONGATED, TEARDROP, OR CRESCENT-SHAPED, OR THEY MAY HAVE POINT-LIKE OR THORN-LIKE PROJECTIONS OR MAY HAVE ANY OTHER ABNORMAL FEATURE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF POIKILOCYTOSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.