Acanthocyte
Definition
A pathologically altered erythrocyte (red blood cell) characterized by an abnormal spherical or star-like shape, displaying multiple rigid, sharp cytoplasmic protrusions (spicules) of irregular length and distribution across its membrane. This morphological change (acanthocytosis) is caused by membrane lipid abnormalities and is encountered in severe conditions such as abetalipoproteinemia, advanced liver diseases, or neuroacanthocytosis.
Bilingual Equivalents
- Acanthocyte
- Spur cell
Grammatical & Source Details
| Inflection Type | Neuter noun, plural: acantocite. Follows regular neuter scientific noun declension. |
| Formation | Derived from Ancient Greek roots 'akantha' (spine/thorn) and 'kytos' (hollow vessel/cell), perfectly reflecting its thorny contour. |
| Spelling / Pronunciation | [əˈkænθoʊsaɪt] |
| Source | Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology / Dorland's Medical Dictionary |
Contextual Usage Examples
RO: Prezența unui număr crescut de acantocite pe frotiul de sânge periferic ridică suspiciunea unei tulburări neurologice genetice.
EN: The presence of an increased number of acanthocytes on the peripheral blood smear raises suspicion of a genetic neurological disorder.
RO: Analiza biochimică a demonstrat că un acantocit are un raport modificat între colesterol și fosfolipide în membrana celulară.
EN: Biochemical analysis demonstrated that an acanthocyte has an altered ratio between cholesterol and phospholipids in the cell membrane.
RO: Hematologul a diferențiat cu atenție un acantocit veritabil de un echinocit generat artificial prin artefacte de tehnice.
EN: The hematologist carefully differentiated a true acanthocyte from an echinocyte artificially generated by technical artifacts.
Idioms & Phrases
Frotiu de sânge cu acantocite / Acanthocyte blood smear
RO: Investigație microscopică standard prin care se vizualizează modificările structurale ale globulelor roșii pentru orientarea diagnosticului.
EN: A standard microscopic investigation visualizing the structural changes of red blood cells to guide diagnosis.
Morfologie de acantocit / Acanthocyte morphology
RO: Setul de caracteristici optice definit prin pierderea concavității centrale a eritrocitului și apariția ghimpișorilor de lungimi variabile.
EN: The set of optical characteristics defined by the loss of the erythrocyte's central concavity and the appearance of spikes of variable lengths.
Anemie indusă de acantocite / Spur cell anemia
RO: Formă de anemie hemolitică severă în care splina distruge prematur aceste celule rigide din cauza deformabilității lor scăzute în capilare.
EN: A form of severe hemolytic anemia where the spleen prematurely destroys these rigid cells due to their low deformability in capillaries.
Latest Contextual News
No recent news found for this topic.