PSEUDOPYROPOIKILOCYTOSIS - A STRIKING ARTIFACT

The blood films both of patients with hereditary pyropoikilocytosis an d of those with severe thermal burns are characterised by budding eryt hrocytes and the presence of microspherocytes. Recently, a fourth exam ple of similar morphological features, caused by overheating of a bloo d specimen in a motor vehicle during transport to the laboratory, has been observed. It is important to be aware of this artefact as failure to recognise it is Likely to lead to diagnostic confusion and unneces sary further testing, causing inconvenience to the patient.