Posts · Morphology Monday · Webinars
Notes from the bench.
Weekly Morphology Monday cases, webinars, stories from the laboratory and news from Only Cells.
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260713
This week’s case features a 27 year old male patient whose routine monitoring sample arrived in the laboratory in the early hours of the morning. The…
News and viewsShift-Proof Your Bench Work: Meet the New Only Cells Laboratory Toolkit
Whether you are working a high stakes emergency night shift or managing routine morning samples, laboratory work demands flawless precision under…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260615
This week’s case comes from a fascinating share by a colleague, reminding us all why we should never ignore an automated analyser flag The 52 year old…
Morphology MondayMM260608: Iron deficiency anaemia
Thank you to everyone who commented on last week’s microcytic mystery The combination of progressive fatigue, a high RDW, and the classic craving for…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260608
This week, we are looking at a sample from a 34-year-old female who presented to her GP after experiencing months of progressive fatigue that she…
Morphology MondayMM260524: McLeod Syndrome
Our 72-year-old patient was referred from a neuromuscular clinic presenting with severe microcytic, hypochromic anaemia (Hb: 77g/L, MCV 56fL, MCH…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260524
This week’s case features a 72-year-old female patient whose routine FBC triggered an automatic manual film review due to some highly unusual red cell…
Morphology MondayMM260511: Adult T-cell Leukaemia/Lymphoma (ATLL)
Thank you to everyone who commented on this week's botanical-themed mystery. While Valentine's Day may be over, these "flowers" under the microscope…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260511
Valentine’s Day might be behind us, but today's case is in full bloom this morning. This film is covered in "flowers," though these aren't the kind…
Morphology MondayMM260504: Cold agglutinins
Thank you for playing along with this week’s "grammar lesson" Most of you correctly identified the missing verb: Warmed. When the sample arrived in…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260504
Last week, I was helping my niece with her English homework. We were working on an exercise where you have to complete the sentence with the missing…
Morphology MondayMM260413: B-ALL
Thank you to everyone who participated in this challenging case. While the "cup-like" nuclear features sparked an excellent debate regarding myeloid…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260413
This week’s case is a particularly poignant one. While working on Christmas day many years ago, I came across the results of a patient who had just…
Morphology MondayMM260323: Babesia
This week's case was from a hitch hiker who had recently returned from Nantucket, Massachusetts with high fevers and jaundice. They presented to the…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260323
This week’s case involves a 58-year-old patient who presented to the Emergency Department with a five-day history of worsening "flu-like" symptoms…
Morphology MondayMM260302: Loa Loa
Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this week’s tropical haematology mystery. This case highlights how a patient's travel history is an important…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260302
This week's case involves a 34 year old aid worker, who recently returned to the UK after spending two years in West Africa, with significant time…
Morphology MondayMM260216: Southeast Asian Ovalocytosis
Our patient presented with a normal haemoglobin level but triggered multiple analyser flags, including spurious macrocytosis and fragment flags. These…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260216
This week's case comes from a patient of Southeast Asian descent who was recently admitted for a routine surgical workup. Interestingly, despite…
Morphology MondayMM260202: "Crystals of death"
Thank you to everyone who participated in this week’s sobering case. The green inclusions noted in the neutrophils of our ICU patient are a rare and…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260202
This week’s case features a patient currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) suffering from acute liver failure. The laboratory data and the…
Morphology MondayMM260126: CML
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/260126_WDF-plot.png) (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/260126__1-1024x768.jpg)…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM260126
This week's case began with an urgent call from the haematology Specialist Registrar (SpR) before the sample had even reached the laboratory. A…
Morphology MondayMM260119: HDFN
Thank you to everyone who analysed the images for our NICU mystery. Before we reveal the diagnosis, let's look at the "evidence list" that led us…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260119
This week’s case comes from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A newborn has presented with early-onset jaundice and a rapidly falling haemoglobin…
Morphology MondayMM260112: Post splenectomy changes
Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this week’s case It was a fantastic example of how a single blood film can tell a complex story of genetics…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260112
For today's case, we are going to do something different. I will start by telling you the diagnosis: The blood film images are from a transfusion…
Morphology MondayMM260105: Prolymphocytes in CLL
Thank you to everyone who participated in the first case of the year While the overnight manual differential flagged a high percentage of "blasts," a…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM260105
Happy New Year, everyone We are kicking off the first Morphology Monday of the year with a case that highlights the importance of "eyes-on" microscopy…
Morphology MondayMM251201: Stomatocytes
This week’s Morphology Monday featured a 46-year-old male who presented with fatigue, mild shortness of breath, and light-headedness. His Full Blood…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM251201
It's not often the first day of the month aligns with a Monday and you know what that means It's time for a new case. This week's case comes from a 46…
Morphology MondayMM251117: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
This week’s case featured an 84-year-old male referred after routine blood tests showed an extremely elevated white cell count. He reported increasing…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM251117
This week’s case comes from an 84-year-old male who was referred to the haematology team after routine blood tests showed a markedly raised white cell…
Morphology MondayMM251110: May-Hegglin anomaly
This week’s case was a 28-year-old female referred to haematology following incidental findings of thrombocytopenia on a routine full blood count. She…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM251110
A 28-year-old female was referred to haematology after routine pre-operative blood tests revealed abnormalities on the full blood count. She reports…
Morphology MondayMM251103: Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia
This week’s case featured a 61-year-old patient who presented with persistent fatigue and was found to have abnormal haematology results during…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM251103
This week we have a case from a 61-year-old patient who presented with persistent fatigue and unintentional weight loss. Routine bloods were…
Morphology MondayMM251027: Acute myeloid leukaemia
This week’s Morphology Monday case featured a 59-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department with increasing fatigue, shortness of breath…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM251027
This week’s case comes from a 59-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department with fatigue, shortness of breath, and spontaneous bruising…
Morphology MondayMM251020: P. malariae
Earlier in the week a couple of blood film images were shared as part of this week's Morphology Monday case. On closer inspection the blood film…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM251020
This week's case take us on a journey beyond haematology and into the realm of infectious disease, where the blood film tells a story that's both…
Morphology MondayMM251013: Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML)
This week's case was from a 57 year old with some abnormal results: - Hb: 80 g/L - Platelets: 26×10⁹/L - WBC: 35.42 ×10⁹/L The blood film images…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM251013
This week's Morphology Monday case is from a 57 year old who presented to the emergency department. FBC Results: - WBC: 35.42×10⁹/L - HB: 80g/L - PLT…
Morphology MondayMM251006: Lymphoproliferative disorder (?PLL)
This week’s case involved a 62-year-old female whose full blood count showed a marked lymphocytosis (WBC 34 × 10⁹/L, lymphocytes 90%). The analyser…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM251006
This week’s case comes from a 62-year-old female whose sample was flagged by the analyser, but interestingly, no differential count was produced. The…
Morphology Monday
MM250915: Renal impairment / IDA
This week’s Morphology Monday case presented with a complex picture involving anaemia, thrombocytosis, and raised white cell count. The striking red…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250929
This week’s case comes from a patient with a complex clinical background. The patient presented with anaemia and a raised platelet count, alongside…
Morphology MondayMM250915: Haemoglobin H disease
This week’s Morphology Monday featured a 35-year-old patient presenting with anaemia, fatigue, and mild splenomegaly. The FBC showed: - Hb: 102 g/L …
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250915
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 …
Morphology MondayMM250908: P. ovale
This week’s case featured a 29-year-old male who presented with fever, chills, sweats, headache, and malaise after returning from recent travel…
ABID – The weird and the wonderful webinar [3/3]
We're back with the final part (3) of our Antibody Identification (ABID) webinar series: _The weird and the wonderful._ Following on from the…
- Morphology Monday
Morphology Monday | Case MM250908
This week’s case comes from a 29-year-old male who returned from a recent trip abroad. He presented to the emergency department with fever, chills…
Morphology MondayMM250901: Hereditary Pyropoikilocytosis (HPP)
This week’s case featured a 6-year-old with chronic anaemia, intermittent jaundice, and splenomegaly. The laboratory results showed: - Hb: 78 g/L …
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250901
This week's Morphology Monday comes from a 6 year old child who has been experiencing chronic anaemia with intermittent jaundice. The child’s parents…
Morphology MondayMM250818: Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
This week's Morphology Monday case(http://onlycells.co.uk/mm250818) features a 35 year old male who presented with fatigue, pallor, easy bruising…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250818
This week's Morphology Monday case comes from a 35 year old male who presented with: - Fatigue and pallor - Easy bruising - Reduced urine output …
Webinar Announcement: Antibody Identification – Session 3/3
The weird and the wonderful Date: 9th Sept 2025 Time: 12:30 PM (UK Time) Speaker: Helen Thom, RCI Development Lead – Transfusion 2024, NHSBT Platform…
Morphology MondayMM250804: Multiple myeloma
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/0006-2-1024x768.jpg) This week’s case explored a blood film from a patient with known multiple myeloma, now…
ABID – Putting it into practice webinar [2/3]
We're back with Part 2 of our Antibody Identification (ABID) webinar series: P_utting It Into Practice._ Following on from the foundations laid in…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250804
We're back with another Morphology Monday case This week's case comes from a 69 year old male presenting with a increasing fatigue and back back over…
Morphology MondayMM250728: Sickle cell disease
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221222_090718521_iOS-1-1024x768.jpg) This week’s Morphology Monday case features a patient with known…
WebinarsWebinar Announcement: Antibody Identification – Session 2/3
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/ABID2_thumbnail.jpg) Registration is now open for Session 2 of the Antibody Identification (ABID) Webinar…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250728
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221222_090718521_iOS-scaled.jpg) This week’s Morphology Monday case comes from a 26-year-old individual…
Morphology MondayMM250721: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/04-5-1024x543.jpg) (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/04-6-1024x543.jpg)…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250721
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/01-3-scaled.jpg) This week’s case features a 14-year-old male who had just celebrated his birthday when he…
Morphology MondayMM250714: Thalassaemia
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/29U013697-Thalassaemia_0006-3-1024x768.png) This week’s Morphology Monday case featured a 60-year-old female…
WebinarsABID - Tools of the trade webinar [1/3]
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/ABID1_thumbnail.jpg) We’re thrilled to have kicked off our three-part webinar series on Antibody…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250714
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/29U013697-Thalassaemia_0001.png) This week’s Morphology Monday features a 60-year-old female with a history…
Morphology MondayMM250707: Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL)
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221023_200030629_iOS-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film from a patient with SMZL…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250707
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221023_200214286_iOS-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film </figcaption> </figure> This…
Morphology MondayMM250630: Megaloblastic Anaemia
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/29U833443-Megaloblastic-Anaemia_0002-3.png) This week’s case presented with a striking macrocytic anaemia on…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250630
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/29U833443-Megaloblastic-Anaemia_0002-1.png) This week's Morphology Monday case is from a patient who went to…
Morphology MondayMM250623: Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/04-4-1024x812.jpg) (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/05-1-1024x820.jpg)…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250623
This week’s Morphology Monday case centres on a patient who presented with a gastrointestinal (GI) bleed and was started on tranexamic acid (TXA) as…
MM250616: May Hegglin Anomaly
This week’s case focused on an adult male with a platelet count in the 54×0⁹/L, identified during routine testing. The patient was asymptomatic, with…
Webinar Announcement: Antibody Identification – Session 1/3
Tools of the Trade Date: 15th July 2025 Time: 12:00 PM (UK Time) Speaker: Helen Thom, RCI Development Lead – Transfusion 2024, NHSBT Platform…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250616
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221204_122145146_iOS-2-1024x768.jpg) (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221204_122052139_iOS-1-1024x768.jpg) (https…
Morphology MondayMM250609: Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20250609-CML_02-1-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film </figcaption> </figure> This…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250609
<figure> 81 year old presents with increased white cell count, (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20250609-CML_03-scaled.jpg) <figcaption>…
Morphology MondayMM250602: Platelet Satellitism
\caption id="attachment_4063" align="aligncenter" width="682"\(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/platelet-satellitism_01-300x225.jpg) Blood…
Morphology MondayMorphology Monday | Case MM250602
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/platelet-satellitism_01.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film image from a 30-something year old…
News and viewsIs morphology dead? Why blood films still matter in the age of automation
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Is-morphology-dead-1024x467.jpg) With the rise of automated analysers and digital diagnostics, some may…
Morphology MondayInfectious mononucleosis: when lymphocytes take centre stage
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/004-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film image showing atypical lymphocytes </figcaption>…
Morphology Monday: Six diagnostic challenges from the blood film
Dive into this special Morphology Monday feature published in The Biomedical Scientist(https://thebiomedicalscientist.net/2025/04/29/morphology-monday-help-what-it) (May 2025)…
Morphology MondayNot what it seems - a challenging case of malaria
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20250511_P-falciparum.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing a band-like trophozoite with…
MorphologyRed Cells: Howell-Jolly bodies
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/27U025877_HJB_SCD_Target-cells_0003.png) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film image from a patient…
News and viewsThe unseen enemy: Why today matters in the fight against malaria
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/World-Malaria-Day.jpg) Today, April 25th, marks World Malaria Day, a global reminder that despite decades of…
MorphologyCryoglobulins: A cold case in the blood
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Cryoglobulins-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing cryoglobulins. </figcaption>…
WebinarsHaemoglobinopathies - The small details that make a big difference Webinar
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Haemoglobinopathies_thumbnail.jpg) On the 9th April 2025, Only Cells hosted another successful Webinar…
Stories and poemsLeukaemic dawn (short poem)
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/AML-sitcky-blasts-3.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film from a patient with AML showing…
News and viewsHealthcare Scientists: Advocates for excellence
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/7415_Biomedical-scientist-looking-at-blood-film-on-microscope-scaled.jpg) Healthcare Science Week has me…
MorphologyWavy wonders: Borrelia's appearance under the microscope
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Borrelia-2.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing Borrelia in its distinct spiral form.…
Stories and poemsSickled crescents (short poem)
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Sickle-cells-1-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing sickled cells </figcaption>…
MorphologyIncreased adhesion of blast cells in acute myeloid leukaemia
<figure> <figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/AML-sitcky-blasts-1.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing blast cells clumping…
Stories and poemsStained with Love
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Heart-purple.jpg) In labs where life's frail secrets hide, And answers wait, deep inside, I sought a truth…
MorphologyWinners and Losers
<figure> An underfilled citrate sample.(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/IMG_20200409_153443__01.jpg) <figcaption> An underfilled citrate…
WebinarsTTP Diagnostics Webinar
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/001-TTP-Diagnostics.jpg) On January 7th, 2025, we hosted an online webinar titled _"TTP Diagnostics …
MorphologyHaemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/1.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film from a patient with HUS. </figcaption> </figure>…
MorphologyRed cells: Drepanocytes
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/Sickle-cells-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film showing the presence of drepanocytes…
MorphologyCandour
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2023/06/IMG_20180420_132559_Bokeh-scaled.jpg) The MLA came rushing in. I was in the middle of looking at a…
Morphology10 minutes
The emergency phone in blood transfusion shrieked. It's a loud, piercing sound that made your heart race, no matter whether you were napping in a…
MorphologyRed cells: Acanthocytes
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/01-1024x563.jpg) <figcaption> Acanthocyte (centre) in a patient with neuroacanthocytosis.…
MorphologyRed cells: Hypochromia
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/B-Thal_Dimorphic_0001-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Hypochromic red cells in a patient with…
MorphologyRed cells: Blister (hemighost) cells
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/0001-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Blister cells (above from centre) seen in a patient with…
- Morphology
Red Cells: Dimorphism
<figure> A blood film image from a patient with Beta thalasseamia, showing dimorphic red…
MorphologyRed cells: Basophilic stippling
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/29U182166-Basophilic-Stippling_0005-1024x768.png) <figcaption> Blood film showing basophilic…
MorphologyRed Cells: Dacrocytes
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/20210227_083246794_iOS-1024x576.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film from a patient with…
MorphologyRed cells: Spherocytes
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/HS-1-1024x612.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film image from a patient with hereditary…
MorphologyRed cells: Elliptocytes
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2024/01/16U223928-HE-FBC_0002-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Peripheral blood film image from a patient…
MorphologyPlasma cell leukaemia
<figure> Plasma cell(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2023/02/Plasma-cells-1024x683.jpg) <figcaption> Plasma cell in a patient with plasma…
MorphologyHypergranular APML
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/0010-scaled.jpg) This patient's blood film shows many hypergranulated promyelocytes (above and below) along…
MorphologyRed cells: Target cells
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20220701_115139883_iOS-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Target cells in a patient with thalassaemia…
MorphologyP. falciparum
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20210415_101001146_iOS-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Blood film showing a Plasmodium Falciparum…
MorphologySmear cells
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20220522_205607809_iOS-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Smear cells in a patient with AML. </figcaption>…
MorphologyMay–Hegglin anomaly
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/20221204_122145146_iOS-scaled.jpg) <figcaption> Image showing Dohle body like inclusions within the…
MorphologyMicrogranular APML
<figure> Image of peripheral blood showing bilobed cells seen in APML.(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2022/11/01-1024x768.jpg) </figure>…
MorphologyRed cells: Polychromasia
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2022/11/20210919_204654409_iOS-1024x768.jpg) <figcaption> Blood film from a patient with a…
MorphologyRed cells: Anisopoikilocytosis
<figure> (https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2022/11/IMG_20200906_190705-1024x467.jpg) <figcaption> Blood film from a patient with HbH disease…
MorphologyBilobed neutrophils
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2022/10/PXL_20201114_142605601.MP2_-1024x590.jpg) The image shows two neutrophils with a reduced number of…
MorphologyFibrin strands
(https://onlycells.co.uk/posts/wp-uploads/2022/10/20210321_000914743_iOS-1-1024x576.jpg)…
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