European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

INCIDENTAL CIRCULATING MEGAKARYOCYTE IN A NORMAL PERIPHERAL BLOOD SMEAR: A RARE MORPHOLOGIC FINDING IN AN ASYMPTOMATIC ADULT FEMALE

*Ruba Abed, MD, Tala Mohammad, MD

ABSTRACT

Megakaryocytes are large bone marrow–derived hematopoietic cells responsible for platelet production and are normally confined to the bone marrow microenvironment. Their presence in peripheral circulation is extremely uncommon and is typically associated with pathological conditions such as myeloproliferative neoplasms, marrow infiltration, or severe bone marrow stress (1–3). We report an incidental finding of a circulating megakaryocyte in the peripheral blood smear of a 35-year-old female who presented for routine laboratory evaluation. Complete blood count parameters were within normal reference ranges, and the patient had no clinical symptoms or relevant medical history. Peripheral blood smear examination revealed a single large cell demonstrating morphological features consistent with a megakaryocyte, including abundant cytoplasm and a multilobulated nucleus. Repeat hematological evaluation showed normal findings with no recurrence of the megakaryocyte. This case highlights the continued importance of careful microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears and illustrates that rare circulating megakaryocytes may occasionally be detected in otherwise healthy individuals.

Keywords: Megakaryocyte, Peripheral Blood Smear, Rare Morphology, Hematology, Platelet Biogenesis