What does a peripheral blood smear show?

A blood smear, also referred to as a peripheral smear for morphology, is an important test for evaluating blood-related problems, such as those in red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

What diseases require a peripheral blood smear?

Common clinical indications for peripheral blood film analysis include unexplained cytopenia: anaemia, leucopenia or thrombocytopenia; unexplained leukocytosis, lymphocytosis or monocytosis; unexplained jaundice or haemolysis; features of congenital haemolytic anaemias such as splenomegaly, jaundice or bone pains; …

What are peripheral blood cells?

Peripheral blood, the blood circulating throughout the body, is an important starting material for many scientists. The cellular components of peripheral blood include erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells), and thrombocytes (platelets).

What causes abnormal cells in the blood?

Leucocytosis (High White Blood Cell Counts) The most common causes of elevated white blood cell counts are infections and inflammation. Some cases of leucocytosis are the result of an immune reaction. A small number of cases are caused by a blood cancer.

What is a normal peripheral smear?

A normal peripheral blood smear indicates the appropriate appearance of red blood cells, with a zone of central pallor occupying about 1/3 of the size of the RBC.

Should you worry about abnormal blood results?

Some people get abnormal liver enzymes blood test results, which make them worry about their liver, the medical science tells us that the liver enzyme must be elevated two folds at least in order to diagnose liver damage, but the small abnormal values usually means mild liver harm as shown in early fatty liver, however in cirrhosis which is a complete liver cells damage, the liver enzymes may show normal, in fact the cells don’t have more enzymes to leak into the blood.

What is an acceptable blood smear?

A blood smear is considered normal when your blood contains a sufficient number of cells and the cells have a normal appearance . A blood smear is considered abnormal when there’s an abnormality in the size, shape, color, or number of cells in your blood.

What does an abnormal blood report indicate?

Abnormal blood counts are common and are often very treatable. In rare cases, an abnormal blood count can indicate an immune disorder or a cancer. Physicians in the Benign Hematology Program specialize in evaluating patients with abnormal blood counts to identify the cause of their condition and create a personalized treatment plan.