Teardrop Cell


A deformed RBC which is tugged to a nipple at one end, having squeezed through a reticuloendothelial system with increased connective tissue
Aetiology Myelofibrosis, and other reticuloendothelial replacement disorders that compromise the bone marrow space, causing splenic overload or decreased functional splenic tissue—e.g., megaloblastic anaemia, hereditary elliptocytosis, anaemia of renal disease, haemolytic anaemias, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and bone marrow infiltration by haematologic and non-haematologic malignancies may also be accompanied by dacrocytosis. Tear drop cells are also seen in normal peripheral blood smears as an artefact of slide preparation; such dacrocytes are usually easily recognised as their 'tails' all point in the same direction

dac·ry·o·cyte

(dak'rē-ō-sīt) An abnormally shaped red blood cell with a single point or elongation. This form of poikilocyte is associated with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.
Synonym(s): teardrop cell. [dacryo- + -cyte]