Macropolycytes as a sepsis biomarker

• Published in: Morphologie Vol. 109; no. 364; p. 100923
• Main Author: Barros Pinto, M.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Masson SAS 01-03-2025
• Subjects: Macropolycytes; MDW; Sepsis; MDW; Sepsis; Macropolycytes
• ISSN: 1286-0115
• DOI: 10.1016/j.morpho.2024.100923

•Analyzers can erroneously count macropolycytes as monocytes.•When a high monocytes count is obtained by the analyzers, a peripheral blood film should be performed to confirm this assessment.•The identification of macropolycytes can play an important role as a sepsis biomarker.
A 16-year-old male patient who underwent a kidney transplant developed a septic shock. A full blood count (FBC) was performed and the presence of monocytosis in the automatic FBC, the overlap between neutrophils and monocytes in the WBC scatter plot, and a “MO blast” flag triggered by the analyzer, led to a peripheral blood film (PBF). PBF revealed the presence of macropolycytes that were erroneously count as monocytes by the analyzer. Macropolycytes can play an important role as a sepsis biomarker.