Which is the characteristic finding on a blood film post splenectomy?
Certain characteristic findings on a blood film are suggestive of hyposplenism or asplenism. This may be congenital, iatrogenic (particularly post splenectomy) or associated with acquired medical conditions.
What are the red cell changes seen in post splenectomy?
An increase in blood leukocytes can occur following a splenectomy. The post-splenectomy platelet count may rise to abnormally high levels (thrombocytosis), leading to an increased risk of potentially fatal clot formation.
What RBC inclusion may be observed in the blood smear of a patient after splenectomy?
3.6 Red Cell Inclusions. Several red cell inclusions have been described, including the following: Howell–Jolly bodies: These are usually single peripheral bodies within red cells representing DNA material. These bodies may be seen in post-splenectomy, megaloblastic anemia, severe hemolysis, and myelophthisic anemia.
What happens to WBC after splenectomy?
Background: The White Blood Cell (WBC) and Platelet (PLT) counts typically increase after a splenectomy. These changes make interpretation of postoperative lab values difficult and may unduly raise concerns for complications.
Where are RBC destroyed after splenectomy?
Surgical splenectomy
Splenectomy is performed in patients having hemolytic anemia (eg, hereditary spherocytosis [HS] and autoimmune hemolytic anemia) because the intrinsically abnormal or antibody-coated red blood cells are prematurely destroyed by splenic macrophages.
What happens to platelets after splenectomy?
Platelet counts after splenectomy have been reported to increase 30% to 100%, with a peak reached at 7 to 20 days postoperatively (3). Common complications of thrombocytosis include thrombosis and hemorrhage.
Why are Howell-Jolly bodies seen after splenectomy?
This peripheral blood smear shows 2 RBCs that contain Howell-Jolly bodies (arrowheads). Howell-Jolly bodies are remnants of RBC nuclei that are normally removed by the spleen. Thus, they are seen in patients who have undergone splenectomy (as in this case) or who have functional asplenia (eg, from sickle cell disease).
What do Heinz bodies indicate?
Heinz bodies are indicative of oxidative injury to the erythrocyte. They are clumps of irreversibly denatured hemoglobin attached to the erythrocyte cell membrane.
Why does WBC increase after splenectomy?
Abstract. Background: Transient elevations of the serum white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet count (PC) are normal physiologic responses after splenectomy. The clinician is often challenged to identify an infection in a postsplenectomy patient with an elevated WBC.
What is the most common complication of splenectomy?
The most widely recognized long-term risk of splenectomy is overwhelming bacterial infection. More recently, thrombosis has become appreciated as another potential complication of the procedure.
Why are platelets high after splenectomy?
The early, highly significant thrombocytosis, following both splenectomy and general surgery, is caused by increased production of platelets due to the surgical trauma. This is caused by a direct action on bone marrow MK by transforming 2N-8N MK into higher ploidy classes.
What is a normal platelet count after splenectomy?
By 1-5 years post-splenectomy, 95% of patients in our analysis had platelet counts within the standard normal range of 150-450 k/µL, albeit trauma/other and ITP responder patients had platelet counts toward the upper end of the normal range.
What is the difference between Howell-Jolly bodies and Heinz bodies?
What’s the difference between Heinz bodies and Howell-Jolly bodies? Even though both bodies can be found on red blood cells, Heinz bodies are not the same as Howell-Jolly bodies. When red blood cells are finished maturing in the bone marrow, they can enter the circulation to begin providing oxygen to the body.
What is Howell-Jolly bodies?
Howell-Jolly bodies are remnants of RBC nuclei that are normally removed by the spleen. Thus, they are seen in patients who have undergone splenectomy (as in this case) or who have functional asplenia (eg, from sickle cell disease). Target cells (arrows) are another consequence of splenectomy. RBC: red blood cell.
Why do platelets increase after splenectomy?
What complications after splenectomy do you know?
But as with any surgery, splenectomy carries the potential risk of complications, including:
- Bleeding.
- Blood clots.
- Infection.
- Injury to nearby organs, including your stomach, pancreas and colon.
Can having no spleen cause high platelets?
What do Howell-Jolly bodies indicate?
Howell-Jolly bodies are pathognomonic for splenic dysfunction. The nuclear remnants do not have a specific function or role. However, they only act as a clue to an underlying pathological process. Howell-Jolly bodies are one of many types of inclusions found in circulating erythrocytes.