Elliptocytes (oval shaped red blood cells) are often observed together with anisocytosis (larger and/or smaller than normal red blood cells), this could be an indication of iron, vitamin B12 and/or folic acid deficiency.
Elliptocytes on their own could be an indication of hormonal imbalance, endocrine problems (including PMS), menopause, pregnancy and other endocrine conditions.
Appearance:
Elliptocytes (a.k.a. ovalocytes) are RBCs that are ovoid to elliptical shape and are usually flat instead of the standard biconcave shape.
Relevance:
Elliptocytes can be present in the blood of healthy individuals, but usually comprise <1% of RBC population. The presence of more than 5 elliptocytes in the sample would be considered a significant finding.
Working with Elliptocytes:
The approach taken to treat clients with elliptocytes depends on the cause of elliptocytosis: hormonal imbalance or nutritional deficiency. This can be easily determined by considering the other anomalies observed in the blood samples and the client’s clinical symptoms.
Join us on the live blood analysis training course to find out more about elliptocytes and other common live blood analysis anomalies as well as how they are treated medically and naturopathically – https://livebloodonline.com/the-training-course/