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Cabot ring

Cabot ring
#00060925
Author: Teresa Scordino
Category: Morphologic variants of normal cells > Morphologic variants of Red Blood Cells/precursors > Normal Red blood cell morphology with resting lymphocyte for comparison > Inclusions
Published Date: 12/01/2016

Cabot rings are thin, threadlike, red to violet rings or "figure 8" shaped inclusions in red blood cells.  Cabot rings are remnants of the mitotic spindle, and can be seen in megaloblastic anemia, medication effect, myelodysplasia and other forms of dyserythropoiesis.  In this image of a blood smear from a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency, the Cabot ring is visible as a faint ring-shaped inclusion in the polychromatophilic cell in the center of the field.