Clinical commentary: Granulocytic fragments in sepsis

Granulocytic fragments have been described in the peripheral blood of patie nts with sepsis and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Alt hough initially proposed as a morphologic clue for distinguishing the leuko erythroblastosis of sepsis from that of myelophthisis or marrow replacement by tumor, granulocyte-derived fragments may be part of a spectrum of cellu lar fragmentation associated with pathological inflammation and thrombosis, and thus play an important role in the pathophysiology of sepsis and SIRS. Pathologists, hematologists, and medical technologists should be aware of their existence, the morphologic features that distinguish them from macrot hombocytes and schistocytes, and their potential significance.