- Howell-Jolly body
Howell-Jolly bodies are histopathological findings of basophilic nuclear remnants (clusters of
DNA ) in circulating erythrocytes. During maturation in the bone marrow erythrocytes normally expel their nuclei, but in some cases a small portion of DNA remains.It is named for
William Henry Howell andJustin Marie Jolly . [WhoNamedIt|synd|1596] [W. H. Howell. The life-history of the formed elements of the blood, especially the red blood corpuscles. Journal of Morphology, New York, 1890-91, 4: 57-116.] [J. M. J. Jolly. Sur la formation des globules rouges des mammifères. Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie, Paris, 1905, 58: 528-531.]Appearance
This DNA appears as a
basophilic (purple) spot on the otherwiseeosinophilic (pink) erythrocyte on a standard H and E stained blood smear. These inclusions are normally pitted out by the spleen during erythrocyte circulation, but will persist in individuals with functional hyposplenia or asplenia.Causes
Common causes of asplenia are
splenectomy due to trauma, and autosplenectomy caused bysickle cell anemia . Other causes are radiation therapy involving the spleen, such as that used to treatHodgkin lymphoma . Howell-Jolly bodies are also seen in: Severehemolytic anemia ,Megaloblastic anemia ,Hereditary spherocytosis Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).References
External links
* [http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/hematology/HessEDD/benignhematologicdisorders/redbloodcelldisorders/howell-jolly-body.cfm Howell-Jolly bodies] : Presented by the University of Virginia
* http://www.academic.marist.edu/~jzmz/topics/inclusions/inclusions18.html
* http://www.brown.edu/Courses/Digital_Path/systemic_path/heme/howelljolly.html
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