eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Hematology

Acanthocytosis: Multimedia

Author: Ulrike M Reiss, MD, Assistant Member, Department of Hematology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital
Coauthor(s): Pedro A de Alarcon, MD, William H Albers Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria; Frank E Shafer, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, MCP Hahnemann University School
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Aug 7, 2008

Multimedia

This image (magnified X 2000) shows the spiculate...
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Media file 1: This image (magnified X 2000) shows the spiculated thorny RBCs (acanthocytes) as observed in an individual with abetalipoproteinemia. These are indistinguishable from the acanthocytes shown in Media file 2, which are observed in an individual with spur cell hemolytic anemia. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.
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This image (magnified X 2000) shows the spiculate...

This image (magnified X 2000) shows the spiculated thorny RBCs (acanthocytes) as observed in an individual with abetalipoproteinemia. These are indistinguishable from the acanthocytes shown in Media file 2, which are observed in an individual with spur cell hemolytic anemia. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.

This image (magnified X 2000) demonstrates acanth...
(Enlarge Image)
Media file 2: This image (magnified X 2000) demonstrates acanthocytes in an individual with spur cell hemolytic anemia associated with alcoholic cirrhosis. Acanthocytes, unlike echinocytes or burr cells (see Media file 3), have fewer spicules. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.
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This image (magnified X 2000) demonstrates acanth...

This image (magnified X 2000) demonstrates acanthocytes in an individual with spur cell hemolytic anemia associated with alcoholic cirrhosis. Acanthocytes, unlike echinocytes or burr cells (see Media file 3), have fewer spicules. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.

This image (magnified X 2000) shows echinocytes, ...
(Enlarge Image)
Media file 3: This image (magnified X 2000) shows echinocytes, or burr cells, a universal feature of uremia. The spicules of acanthocytes vary in length and width and project nonuniformly from the cell surface, while burr cells have regularly spaced, smoothly rounded crenulations. The second morphologic feature of RBCs in an individual with uremia is the presence of ellipsoid cells. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.
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This image (magnified X 2000) shows echinocytes, ...

This image (magnified X 2000) shows echinocytes, or burr cells, a universal feature of uremia. The spicules of acanthocytes vary in length and width and project nonuniformly from the cell surface, while burr cells have regularly spaced, smoothly rounded crenulations. The second morphologic feature of RBCs in an individual with uremia is the presence of ellipsoid cells. Used with permission from Little, Brown and Company.

More on Acanthocytosis

Overview: Acanthocytosis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Acanthocytosis
Treatment & Medication: Acanthocytosis
Follow-up: Acanthocytosis
Multimedia: Acanthocytosis
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

acanthocytosis, acanthocytes, abetalipoproteinemia, Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, atypical retinitis pigmentosa, progressive ataxic neurologic disorder, neuroacanthocytosis, McLeod syndrome, McLeod blood group, Lutheran blood group, apolipoprotein B deficiency, beta-lipoprotein deficiency, beta lipoprotein deficiency, familial hypobetalipoproteinemia, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein deficiency, celiac disease, spur cell hemolytic anemia, spur cell anemia of severe liver disease, severe active hepatitis, cholestasis, neonatal hepatitis, metastatic liver disease

hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, alcoholic cirrhosis, infantile pyknocytosis, Zieve syndrome, lipid metabolism, hypothyroidism, myxedema, chronic granulomatous disease, CGD, hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, uremia, hemolytic anemia, failure to thrive, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, ascites, metastatic liver disease, hemochromatosis, neonatal hepatitis, cholestasis, Wilson disease, severe acute hepatitis, infantile pyknocytosis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ulrike M Reiss, MD, Assistant Member, Department of Hematology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital
Ulrike M Reiss, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Hematology and American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Pedro A de Alarcon, MD, William H Albers Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria
Pedro A de Alarcon, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Federation for Clinical Research, American Pediatric Society, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Children's Oncology Group, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, International Society for Experimental Hematology, International Society of Hematology, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Medical Society of the State of New York, National Hemophilia Foundation, New York Academy of Sciences, Society for Pediatric Research, Southern Society for Pediatric Research, and Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Virginia Pediatric Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Frank E Shafer, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, MCP Hahnemann University School
Frank E Shafer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Hematology and American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

J Martin Johnston, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Mercer University School of Medicine; Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Backus Children's Hospital; Consulting Oncologist/Hematologist, St Damien's Pediatric Hospital
J Martin Johnston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Idaho Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine.com, Inc
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from broker recommendation; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from broker recommendation

Managing Editor

Steven K Bergstrom, MD, Assistant to the Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center of Oakland
Steven K Bergstrom, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Children's Oncology Group, and International Society for Experimental Hematology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Samuel Gross, MD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, UNC, Adjunct Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University
Samuel Gross, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Research, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and Society for Pediatric Research
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Max J Coppes, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Director, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC; Professor of Medicine, Oncology, and Pediatrics, Georgetown University
Max J Coppes, MD, PhD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Society for Pediatric Research
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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