Poikilocytosis

Poikilocytosis refers to the presence in the blood of poikilocytes. Poikilocytes are abnormally shaped red blood cells as seen on a blood film. Rather than being seen as a sign of any one disease, poikilocytosis is a rather general condition. There may, however, be a predominance of one particular type of abnormally shaped red cells, some of which may indicate possible presence of a specific disease or disorder. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=cm.chapter.4584] Normal red blood cells are round, flattened disks that are thinner in the middle than at the edges, whereas a poikilocyte is either a distortion of that normal shape or an entirely different shape. Generally, poikilocytosis can refer to an increase in abnormal red blood cells of any shape where they make up 10% or more of the total population.

Causes of poikilocytosis

Abnormal red blood cells are seen in a wide range of conditions, so poikilocytosis is not specific. However, specific types of poikilocytes may be seen in particular disease states and/or disorders.

Membrane Abnormalities

# Acanthocytes or Spur/Spike cells
# Codocytes or Target cells
# Echinocytes and Burr cells
# Elliptocytes and Ovalocytes
# Spherocytes
# Stomatocytes or Mouth cells

Trauma

# Dacrocytes or Teardrop Cells
# Keratocytes
# Microspherocytes and Pyropoikilocytes
# Schistocytes
# Semilunar bodies

Treatment

In all cases, the treatment of poikilocytosis depends on its cause. For example, poikilocytosis can be caused by a vitamin deficiency, in which case the treatment is to take Vitamin B12 or folic acid. It can be caused by a digestive disease, such as celiac disease, in which case the solution may lie in treating the underlying celiac disease so that nutrients can be properly absorbed.