A peripheral blood smear shows siderocytes on Prussian blue staining. On a Wright stained smear, what would you expect to see?

A peripheral blood smear shows siderocytes on Prussian blue staining. On a Wright stained smear, what would you expect to see?

• A. Howell-Jolly bodies
• B. Pappenheimer bodies
• C. Siderocytes
• D. Cabot rings

Answer: (B)

Iron-containing inclusions in red cells detected by Prussian blue appear on Wright staining as Pappenheimer bodies. These are irregular basophilic granules within the red cell cytoplasm, often seen in clusters near the periphery. Howell-Jolly bodies are DNA remnants, and Cabot rings are spindle remnants; neither represents iron-containing inclusions. So, when siderocytes (iron-containing cells) are seen with Prussian blue, the corresponding Wright smear finding is Pappenheimer bodies.

Iron-containing inclusions in red cells detected by Prussian blue appear on Wright staining as Pappenheimer bodies. These are irregular basophilic granules within the red cell cytoplasm, often seen in clusters near the periphery. Howell-Jolly bodies are DNA remnants, and Cabot rings are spindle remnants; neither represents iron-containing inclusions. So, when siderocytes (iron-containing cells) are seen with Prussian blue, the corresponding Wright smear finding is Pappenheimer bodies.