IMpact

Correct!

Correct Answer:

C. Liver disease

Educational Objective:

Diagnose acanthocytosis on a peripheral blood smear and recognize its association with severe liver disease.

Critique:

Acanthocytes are erythrocytes with a relatively small number of spicules of varying size that project from the cell surface at irregular intervals; the projections are nonuniform in distribution and size. They appear contracted and dense on stained peripheral blood smears. Patients with liver disease often have acanthocytes as well as other morphologic changes, such as echinocytes and target cells.