A ENHEIMER BODIES (SIDEROTIC GRANULES) DESCRIPTION Pappenheimer bodies (side rotic granules) are small, irregular magenta inclusions seen along the periphery of red cells. They usually appear in clusters, as if they have been gently placed on the red cell membrane. Their presence on a Wright’s or a supravital stained peripheral smear is presumptive evidence for the presence of iron. However, the Prussian blue stain is the confirmatory test for determining the presence of these inclusions. These bodies/granules in R!s are nonheme iron, resulting from an e"cess of available iron throughout the body. #ven though Pappenheimer bodies and siderotic granules are the same inclusion, they are designated differently depending on the stain used. The inclusions are termed Pappenheimer bodies, when seen in a Wrightstained smearan d siderotic granules when seen in Prussian blueor other $inds of iron stain. The e"planation for the difference in terminology is that Romano!s"# stainsvis uali%e Pappenheimerbodiesby st ain ing the proteinmatri$of the gran ule, wher eas Prussianbluestain is responsible for staining the ironportionof the granule. &nce the presence of siderotic granules has been confirmed by iron stains, the cells in which they are found are termed sideroc#tes . 'iderocytes containing a nucleus are described as sideroblasts and are commonly seen in sideroblastic anemias. 'ideroblasts e"hibiting numerous siderotic granules found within the mitochondria forming a ring around at least one(third of the nucleus, are labeled as pathologic ringed sideroblasts. C%INIC&% SI'NIIC&NCE 'iderocytes are seen in any condition in which there is iron overloading such as hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis . They may als o be see n in the hemoglobinopathies )e.g., sic$le cell anemia and thalassemia* and in patients following splenectom# . REERENCES ull .'., Herrmann P.!. )+-*. !hapter +. orphology of the #rythron. 0n 1.T. Prchal, 2. 2aushans$y, .3. 4ichtman, T.1. 2ipps, 5. 'eligsohn )#ds*,Williams Hematology, 6e. Retrieved &ctober --, +-7 from http8//www.accessmedicine.com/content.asp"9 a0:;<--==+. Harmening, :. )+*. Clinical hematology and fundamentals of hemostasis)>th ed.*. Philadelphia, P38 ?. 3. :avis !o.. 'ubmitted by8 * +&%DE,- DENNIS .R/&N &0 4' 000(3
