Acanthocyte, in human biology and medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

, refers to a form of red blood cell

Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate organism's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system...

 that are spiked, or possess various abnormal thorny projections. Acanthocytosis is the condition with acanthocyte-like red blood cells.

These cells are coarse and irregularly crenellated resembling many-pointed stars. They are seen on blood film

Blood film

A blood film or peripheral blood smear is a thin layer of blood smeared on a microscope slide and then stained in such a way to allow the various blood cells to be examined microscopically...

s in, among others, abetalipoproteinemia

Abetalipoproteinemia

Abetalipoproteinemia, or Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that interferes with the normal absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins from food. It is caused by a deficiency of apolipoprotein B-48 and B-100, which are used in the synthesis and exportation of...

, liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

 disease, chorea acanthocytosis

Chorea acanthocytosis

Chorea-acanthocytosis , is a rare hereditary disease caused by a mutation of the gene that directs structural proteins in red blood cells. It belongs to a group of four diseases characterized under the name Neuroacanthocytosis. When a patient's blood is viewed under a microscope, some of the red...

, McLeod syndrome

McLeod syndrome

McLeod syndrome is a genetic disorder that may affect the blood, brain, peripheral nerves, muscle and heart. It is caused by a variety of recessively-inherited mutations in the XK gene on the X chromosome...

 and several inherited neurological disorders, such as neuroacanthocytosis

Neuroacanthocytosis

Neuroacanthocytosis is a term that refers to a group of genetically diverse conditions complicated by movement disorders, neurological problems and spiculated red blood cells...

.

The term "echinocyte" (or "burr cell") is similar in meaning to "acanthocyte", but implies more moderate spiculation. Burr cells usually imply uremia.

External links

• Acanthocyte: Presented by the University of Virginia