G6PD deficiency commonly shows which smear findings?

Prepare for the Rosh Internal Medicine Exam with quizzes, flashcards, and multiple-choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel on your exam!

Multiple Choice

G6PD deficiency commonly shows which smear findings?

Explanation:
In G6PD deficiency, oxidative stress damages hemoglobin, causing it to denature and form Heinz bodies. These Heinz bodies are best seen with supravital staining. The spleen then traps and removes these inclusions from the RBCs, a process called pitting, which leaves behind bite cells. So, during a hemolytic episode, the peripheral smear commonly shows both bite cells and Heinz bodies. Other smear patterns like spherocytes or target cells point to different conditions and don’t reflect the typical mechanism in G6PD deficiency, making the combination of bite cells and Heinz bodies the classic finding.

In G6PD deficiency, oxidative stress damages hemoglobin, causing it to denature and form Heinz bodies. These Heinz bodies are best seen with supravital staining. The spleen then traps and removes these inclusions from the RBCs, a process called pitting, which leaves behind bite cells. So, during a hemolytic episode, the peripheral smear commonly shows both bite cells and Heinz bodies. Other smear patterns like spherocytes or target cells point to different conditions and don’t reflect the typical mechanism in G6PD deficiency, making the combination of bite cells and Heinz bodies the classic finding.

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