Introduction: The presence of schistocytes on the peripheral blood film during disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) remains controversial.
Methods: We examined schistocytes count on blood films from 35 DIC patients and checked morphological anomalies of all RBCs.
Results: Thirty of 35 patients presented with schistocytes and 22 with acanthocytes, which was the commonest shape anomaly. Mean percentage ± standard deviation was 0.33 ± 0.38%, median value was 0.1%, and range was 0-1.4%. The patients with schistocytes ≥ 1% had circumstances frequently associated with increased schistocytes count (promyelocytic leukaemia, pregnancy, severe infection).
Discussion: Schistocytes were thus frequently observed in DIC patients, usually with low percentage, within or close to the reference range (<0.5%). Schistocytes measurement is not a clue test for the initial diagnosis of DIC, but might be of clinical value to suggest an associated or underlying thrombotic microangiopathy if ≥ 1%.
Keywords: Schistocyte; acanthocyte; disseminated intravascular coagulation; sepsis; thrombotic microangiopathy.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.