Peripheral blood smear in autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)

This peripheral blood smear from a patient with AIHA due to a warm-reactive IgG antibody demonstrates the presence of many dark red, small microspherocytes (arrowheads) and larger spherocytes (arrow). Many large, irregular, blue-tinted red cells are also present, representing reticulocytes (dashed arrows).

High-power view of a normal peripheral blood smear. Several platelets (arrowheads) and a normal lymphocyte (arrow) can also be seen. The red cells are of relatively uniform size and shape. The diameter of the normal red cell should approximate that of the nucleus of the small lymphocyte; central pallor (dashed arrow) should equal one-third of its diameter.