A smear macroscopically has holes. This is caused by what?

Get ready for the CAMLPR Hematology Test. Use our quizzes, flashcards, and detailed explanations to enhance your understanding. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Multiple Choice

A smear macroscopically has holes. This is caused by what?

Holes in a blood smear are most often seen when there is lipemia, meaning increased lipid content in the blood. Lipid droplets in a lipemic sample interfere with how the smear spreads on the slide, and when the film dries and is stained, these droplets leave clear spaces that look like holes. This phenomenon is specific to lipid-rich samples and isn’t caused by high protein alone, over-drying of stain, or a high white-cell count—the latter two affect staining quality or cell distribution in different ways, not by creating holes.

Holes in a blood smear are most often seen when there is lipemia, meaning increased lipid content in the blood. Lipid droplets in a lipemic sample interfere with how the smear spreads on the slide, and when the film dries and is stained, these droplets leave clear spaces that look like holes. This phenomenon is specific to lipid-rich samples and isn’t caused by high protein alone, over-drying of stain, or a high white-cell count—the latter two affect staining quality or cell distribution in different ways, not by creating holes.

More practice questions