Peripheral smear shows marked macro-ovalocytosis in a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency. In this case, teardrop cells are an advanced form of macro-ovalocytes.
Courtesy of Stanley L Schrier, MD.
Graphic 74901 Version 6.0
Normal peripheral blood smear
High-power view of a normal peripheral blood smear. Several platelets (arrowheads) and a normal lymphocyte (arrow) can also be seen. The red cells are of relatively uniform size and shape. The diameter of the normal red cell should approximate that of the nucleus of the small lymphocyte; central pallor (dashed arrow) should equal one-third of its diameter.