Pelger-Huët anomaly is an inherited condition characterized by hyposegmentation of the neutrophil nucleus and excessive chromatin clumping. Acquired Pelger-Huët, also known as pseudo-Pelger-Huët, has been described in several clinical conditions including transplant recipients who received immunosuppressive drugs. The incidence of pseudo-Pelger-Huët in kidney transplant patients, characterized as neutrophil dysplasia, was observed in 9 of 170 patients (5.3%) at the São Francisco Hospital de Assis, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Awareness of possible circulating neutrophil alterations in transplant patients is important for laboratory professionals who should report these findings of cell changes. It should be highlighted that the poor segmentation and the chromatin hypercondensation observed initially in pseudo-Pelger-Huët patients can be suggestive of early-stage neutrophils. Only a combination of laboratory and clinical data will facilitate a better understanding of this anomaly and its correct follow-up and management.
Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.