This week’s case comes from a 35-year-old patient who presented with:
-
Fatigue and mild shortness of breath
-
A history of intermittent anaemia
-
Mild splenomegaly on examination
The laboratory results showed:
-
WBC: 7.4 × 10⁹/L (normal)
-
RBC: 5.69 × 10¹²/L (slightly raised)
-
Hb: 102 g/L (low)
-
HCT: 0.335 (low)
-
MCV: 59 fL (low)
-
MCH: 18.0 pg (low)
-
RDW: 24.6 % (raised)
-
Platelets: 157 × 10⁹/L (normal)
Special investigations:
No evidence of common haemoglobin variants (HbS, HbC) or β-thalassaemia trait. The sample was referred for further molecular analysis.
The blood film images above are stained using a special stain. What is the stain used and what is the diagnosis?