| Cell Type | Image | Cellular Description | Associated Diseases and Conditions |
Teardrop cell
(Dacrocyte) |  | - Red blood cells (RBCs) are shaped like a teardrop with a projection extending from one end
| - Primary myelofibrosis
- Myelophthisic anemia
- Megaloblastic anemia (e.g., Pernicious anemia)
- Certain thalassemias
|
| Spherocyte |  | - RBCs smaller than normal
- No central pallor
- Round rather than disc-shaped
| - Hereditary spherocytosis
- Certain hemolytic anemias (e.g., autoimmune hemolytic anemia)
- Severe burns
|
Target cell
(Codocyte) |  | - RBCs with characteristic bull's-eye morphology due to hemoglobin distribution
| - Hemoglobinopathies (e.g., sickle cell disease)
- Certain thalassemias
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Splenectomy
- Severe liver disease
|
Sickle cell
(Drepanocyte) |  | - RBCs contain hemoglobin S
- Thorn or crescent-shaped
| |
| Stomatocyte |  | - RBCs with thin, elongated area of central pallor (slit-like or coffee-bean-shaped on peripheral blood smears)
- Three-dimensionally, RBCs are cup-shaped
| - Hereditary stomatocytosis
- Alcohol-related disease
- Liver disease
- Rh null phenotype
- Artifact
|
| Schistocyte (fragmented red cells) |  | - RBC fragments or pieces
- Vary widely in size and shape
| - Severe burns
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
- Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA)
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
|
| Ovalocyte (Elliptocyte) |  | - RBCs are elongated—oval, cigar, or pencil-shaped
| - Hereditary elliptocytosis
- Megaloblastic anemia
- Myelophthisic anemia
- Certain thalassemias
- Severe iron deficiency
|
| Acanthocyte (Spur cell) |  | - RBCs demonstrating irregularly-spaced, spiny projections that vary in size and number
- No central pallor
| - Abetalipoproteinemia
- Severe hepatic disease
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- MAHA
- Neuroacanthocytosis
|
Echinocyte
(Burr cell) |  | - RBCs have short and evenly-spaced, rounded projections surrounding the cell
- Central pallor present
| - Uremia
- Heart disease
- Pyruvate kinase deficiency
- Stomach cancers
- Bleeding peptic ulcers
|
| Bite cell |  | - Red cells that appear to have bites taken out of them (Image A)
- Supravital stain reveals the presence of Heinz bodies—precipitated denatured masses of hemoglobin (Image B)
| Disorders associated with Heinz body formation:
- Unstable hemoglobins
- Chemical poisoning
- G6PD deficiency
- Hemolytic anemia associated with severe alcoholic liver disease
|
