Open AccessBenefit of Howell-Jolly bodies detection: finding of an acquired hyposplenism in a patient with Goodpasture syndrome
Author(s) -
Tanguy Leroux,
Sylvie Daliphard,
Isabelle Étienne,
Martine Gellé,
Victor Bobée
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annales de biologie clinique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.167
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1950-6112
pISSN - 0003-3898
DOI - 10.1684/abc.2020.1544
Subject(s) - medicine , spleen , splenectomy , goodpasture syndrome , hypoplasia , blood smear , pathology , kidney , immunology , surgery , glomerulonephritis , glomerular basement membrane , malaria
Howell-Jolly bodies are intraerythrocytic inclusions corresponding to a small portion of chromatin. Red blood cells that contain these nuclear remnants are removed from the circulation by the spleen. In most cases, presence of Howell-Jolly bodies on a blood smear is the result of functional asplenia and splenectomy. Observation. We report incidental finding of numerous Howell-Jolly bodies in a patient followed by the nephrology department. This microscopic observation of blood smear led to a diagnostic imaging and to the evidence of a reduced spleen, possibly favoured by a history of Goodpasture syndrome in this renal transplant patient without splenectomy. Vaccination and antibioprophylaxy were proposed to prevent infectious risk linked to this splenic hypoplasia. Conclusion. Seeking of Howell-Jolly bodies could be made in every condition associated with a risk of splenic hypoplasia to prevent infectious risk.