Splenic Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Splenic and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Illustrated in the upper photograph are tiny pinpoint 24-hour colonies recovered from one of the splenic abscesses. The wide zones of beta hemolysis are better seen in the close-in view of the 36 hour culture shown in the lower photograph.
Streptococcus milleri (anginosus) can be suspected if one of the following odors is detected: | View Page |
| The erythrocyte at the tip of the arrow is an echinocycte (burr cell). | View Page |
| The RBC inclusions shown in the photograph represent which of the following? | View Page |
| Smear with teardrop cells As previously mentioned, tear drop cells are present in disorders with altered splenic or bone marrow structure. Disrupted splenic cords and myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia are examples. Tear drop cells appear in the peripheral blood as a response to red cell alterations by thalassemia when red cell inclusions are expelled by a stripping process through splenic cords. A marrow disrupted by malignant cells may also set the stage for release of teardrop cells into the peripheral blood. Importantly, teardrop cells may arise as an artifact of improper smear preparation, identified by their uniformity in pointing in the same direction. In contrast, teardrops noted in the photograph are irregularly arranged and oriented in various directions. Teardrops always have pointed ends and disappear after splenectomy. | View Page |
| The cells marked by blue arrows in the photograph are associated with all of the following conditions except: | View Page |
| A peripheral blood smear was submitted for review. The presence of sickle cells and target cells as shown is diagnostic of hemoglobin SC disease. | View Page |
| Erythrophagocytosis Illustrated in the photograph is a phagocyte devouring several erythrocytes.This uncommon phenomenon occurs in the bone marrow and in the spleen as part of the process of erythrocyte destruction. Erythrophagocytosis is found in histological sections of the spleen in cases of hemolytic anemia.This phenomenon appears also in splenic sections in lupus erythematosis, and in rheumatoid arthritis.Our example is from a patient with a myeloproliferative disorder and is a rare example of a circulating erythrophagocytic cell in the peripheral blood. | View Page |