Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) ASCP Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The presence of Howell-Jolly bodies in a blood smear is indeed an indication of hyposplenism. Howell-Jolly bodies are small, round, blue-staining inclusions seen in red blood cells, and they represent remnants of nuclear material. Under normal circumstances, the spleen plays a crucial role in filtering out these inclusions from the circulation. When the spleen is either absent (as in splenectomy) or significantly underactive (as in hyposplenism), these nuclear remnants can persist in the bloodstream, leading to their detection on a blood smear.

Hyposplenism can be caused by various conditions, such as certain hematological disorders or infections that impair spleen function. The identification of Howell-Jolly bodies serves as an important clinical clue, prompting further investigation into the patient’s splenic status.

Hypochromic red blood cells typically indicate conditions related to iron deficiency anemia or thalassemia, while target cells are often seen in liver disease or hemoglobinopathies and not specifically linked to splenic function. Reticulocytosis, on the other hand, suggests an increased production of red blood cells, generally in response to anemia or blood loss, and does not directly correlate with splenic activity or the presence of Howell