White Blood Cell Disorders and Platelets:: 4. Intra-cytoplasmic Inclusion Bodies

Case History

  • A 17-year-old young woman was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and a tentative diagnosis of appendicitis.
  • The total white blood count was 14,500 cells/cumm with a left shift and neutrophils with changes tagged by the arrow in the photographs (see blue arrow).
  • The bluish-staining, blurred accumulations in the cytoplasm (Doehle bodies), are located at the cell periphery in neutrophils with toxic changes.
  • Doehle bodies are remnants of endocytoplasmic reticulum and are products of cytokine activity in the induction and shortened activity of neutrophil activation.
  • They are often present in conditions with increased neutrophil lysosomal activity, manifest as toxic granulation.
  • In this case, the presence of Doehle bodies serves as markers for infection-induced leukocytosis and supports the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

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