This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Target cells

Authoring team

These are red blood cells with characteristics that resemble a shooting target:

  • central staining
  • ring of pallor
  • outer rim of staining

Target cells are abnormally resistant to saline haemolysis.

Causes include:

  • obstructive liver disease
  • thalassaemia
  • haemoglobin C and D disease
  • sickle-cell disease
  • iron deficiency anaemia (small numbers may be seen)
  • after splenectomy

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.