Histology, Howell Jolly Bodies

Excerpt

Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants found within red blood cells, named after the pioneering work of William Howell and Justin Jolly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These bodies are typically extruded during the final stages of erythropoiesis in the bone marrow but can persist in the peripheral blood under certain pathological conditions, particularly when the spleen is absent or functionally impaired. Howell-Jolly bodies may persist in patients with spleen impairment because one of the spleen's functions is to filter deranged blood cells and remove the intracellular inclusions left by the erythrocyte precursors (see Image. Howell-Jolly Body). Identifying and studying Howell-Jolly bodies have provided significant insights into both normal and abnormal erythropoiesis and are crucial in diagnosing various hematological disorders.