Which of the following is a typical red blood cell change seen in autoimmune hemolytic anemia?

Which of the following is a typical red blood cell change seen in autoimmune hemolytic anemia?

• A. Spherocytes
• B. Auer rods
• C. Target cells
• D. Howell-Jolly bodies

Answer: (A)

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia involves antibodies coating red blood cells and marking them for destruction, usually in the spleen. When macrophages remove the antibody-coated cell membrane, the RBCs lose membrane relative to their volume and become small, round, and lack central pallor—these are spherocytes. This membrane loss during extravascular hemolysis is what gives AIHA its characteristic smear finding. Other options reflect different conditions: Auer rods appear in certain leukemias, target cells arise with liver disease and some anemias, and Howell-Jolly bodies indicate hyposplenism or asplenia.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia involves antibodies coating red blood cells and marking them for destruction, usually in the spleen. When macrophages remove the antibody-coated cell membrane, the RBCs lose membrane relative to their volume and become small, round, and lack central pallor—these are spherocytes. This membrane loss during extravascular hemolysis is what gives AIHA its characteristic smear finding. Other options reflect different conditions: Auer rods appear in certain leukemias, target cells arise with liver disease and some anemias, and Howell-Jolly bodies indicate hyposplenism or asplenia.