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Pigment-laden neutrophil (malarial pigment) (Neutrophils are approximately 10–15 microns in size with a multilobed nucleus and a moderate amount of cytoplasm. In cases of high parasitemic index due to Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax, neutrophils may contain coarse, granular brown to black pigment (hemozoin) within their cytoplasm. This pigment represents phagocytosed malarial by-products released from parasitized red blood cells. The nucleus retains its typical segmented appearance, and the cytoplasm remains pale with fine granules, but is distinguished by the presence of this dark pigment. A high number of pigment-laden neutrophils correlates with heavy parasitemia and may indicate severe infection.)