Blood film from a patient with a haemolytic anaemia, showing the blue coloured reticulocytes.
Polychromasia refers to red cells with varying colours. This is normally used to described a film in which there are normal pink (salmon) coloured red cells and purplish-blue coloured immature red cells (reticulocytes). This is due to the residual RNA within the reticulocytes being stained.
Polychromasia can be seen in:
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Premature red cell destruction (haemolysis / bleeding)
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Anaemia.
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Hypoxia.
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Bone marrow infiltration.
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Haemoglobinopathies and inherited membrane disorders.
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Image from personal photography.