Histology, Basophilic Stippling

Excerpt

Basophilic stippling is one example of several clinically significant erythrocyte inclusions identified on peripheral blood smears. The presence of basophilic stippling is attributed to aggregates of ribosomes or fragments of ribosomal RNA precipitated throughout the cytoplasm of circulating erythrocytes. This finding is associated with acquired and heritable hematologic disorders affecting erythropoiesis and erythrocyte maturation.