Single Circulating Blast in the Peripheral Blood Film in Normal Individuals and Patients of Non-neoplastic Haematological Disorders and Non-hematological Neoplasms/Disorders- A Study at a Tertiary Care Centre

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The blasts in the peripheral blood is usuallyassociated with a haematological disorder. Study aimed tosee if a single blast seen in a peripheral blood film of healthyindividuals and patients of non-neoplastic haematologicaldisorders and non-hematological neoplasms/disorders didhave any clinical significance.Material and Methods: The period of study was from 2014to 2018 conducted at a tertiary care hospital. The study wasdone exclusively on Peripheral Blood Films. The films werestained with Leishman stain. An occasional blast was detectedin some healthy subjects and patients of non-neoplastichaematological disorders and non-hematological neoplasms/disorders.Result: The routine smears were analyzed with caution afterthe first case of a patient of Iron Deficiency Anemia revealeda clear-cut Blast. In the period of 4 years from 2014 to 2018,a total of 23 cases of apparently normal individuals or patientswith non neoplastic haematological disorders and nonhematological neoplasms/disorders showed at least 1% on oneseparate occasion.Conclusion: A careful morphological examination in theperipheral smears of few normal individuals and individualswith non neoplastic haematological disorders and nonhematological neoplasms/disorders showed at least 1%Blast on one separate occasion. The cells were clear cutblasts with a large size, fine nuclear chromatin, one to twonucleoli with round to slightly irregular nuclear contours anda mild amount of pale agranular cytoplasm. On thoroughinvestigations of these individuals there was no evidence ofa neoplastic haematological disorder. Therefore a single blastin a peripheral blood seen in a healthy individuals or patientswith benign haematological disorder and non-neoplasticneoplasms/disorders may not always indicate a neoplasticprocess.