Stress Reticulocytes from Erythrocyte Inclusions - Wright Stained Smears, presented by MediaLab

Characteristics of Reticulocytes (Polychromasia)

Stress Reticulocytes

When the large reticulocytes normally found in the bone marrow are present in the peripheral blood, they are referred to as shift or stress reticulocytes.
These cells may be up to twice the size of normal mature red cells and are an indication of the bone marrow’s response to severe anemia.
In addition to recognizing their appearance as polychromatophlic cells on Wright’s stained smears, it is now possible to quantify stress reticulocytes using a flourescent stain.
- They are classified as high, medium or low using a fluorescent-sensitive flow cytometer.

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