EDTA-temperature-Induced pseudohematocytopenia in a patient with multiple myeloma.

Lixia Zhang, Shiyang Pan, Jie Zhang, Lin Lu, Erfu Xie, Qin Ye

Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.

Clinical laboratory 2012

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Platelet clumping caused by ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and erythrocyte agglutination caused by cold agglutinins are often found in clinical findings. However, erythrocyte agglutination induced by EDTA has not been reported as yet. Spurious low red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), and platelet counts were observed in a patient blood sample collected in EDTA in vitro at room temperature and 37 degrees C. However, the phenomena were only observed in the sodium citrate and heparin anticoagulated blood at room temperature, but not at 37 degrees C. Both erythrocyte agglutination and platelet clumping were observed in the peripheral blood smear. These data suggest an EDTA-temperature-induced pseudohematocytopenia. It is a very rare phenomenon to observe erythrocyte agglutination induced by EDTA and temperature.

Citation

Lixia Zhang, Shiyang Pan, Jie Zhang, Lin Lu, Erfu Xie, Qin Ye. EDTA-temperature-Induced pseudohematocytopenia in a patient with multiple myeloma. Clinical laboratory. 2012;58(5-6):563-5