Hematology all time.

  Schistocytes or schizocytes is derived from the greek word ‘schisto’ which means broken or cleft. They are circulating fragments of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs which have lost cytoplasmic fragments. Causes of Schistocytes: ü   They are usually absent or very rare in healthy individuals ü   Thrombotic microangiopathy ·          Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura ·          Hemolytic uremic syndrome ü     Malfunctioning prosthetic valve ü     HELLP syndrome ü   Malignant hypertension ü   Metastatic cancer v   The morphology of RBCs in peripheral smear is important. When schistocytes are seen in non-TMA related genetic or acquired RBC disorders, like Thalassemia, Primary Myelofibrosis, Megaloblastic anemia, thermal injuries, they show marked anisopoikilocytosis and a range of additional RBC size and morphological changes. Microscopic identification of schistocytes. According to ICSH, schistocytes are always smaller than intact RBCs (i)    small fragments o