Daniil Adamov on Leukoformula

Waxy Casts in Urine Sediment Microscopy

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:45:30 +0300

Beautiful and at the same time terrible waxy casts. Photos 1 - 3 show small, quite harmless (if one can even say that about them) waxy casts. Photos 4 - 9 are examples of large, heavily cracked representatives of this class. It is also worth noting the color of the casts - orange. This coloration is explained by hemoglobin impregnation, which is confirmed by the background of a huge number of dysmorphic erythrocytes. The number of casts per preparation is also impressive. One, and sometimes several, in each field of view. Native urine sample, 400x magnification.

Renal Epithelial Fatty Degeneration in Urine Sediment

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:23:36 +0300

Renal epithelium with fatty degeneration. 1-3 photos - native preparation. Large cells packed with highly light-refractive granules of various sizes. 4-9 photos - preparation stained with Sudan III (red) and heated over an alcohol lamp flame. Since Sudan stains fatty elements, all brown granules changed color to yellow, orange, or red. Native and stained preparations, 400x magnification.

Waxy Casts in Urine Sediment: Morphology and Microscopy

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:02 +0300

“Ideal” waxy casts. The sample was run on a Sysmex analyzer with an imaging unit. Microphotographs revealed objects resembling mucus with a dense overlay of bacteria or salts. The analyzer did not flag for casts. However, the presence of protein (0.3 g/L), the absence of bacteria according to the analyzer’s corresponding parameter, and the lack of visible salts in the microphotographs raised suspicion. We decided to examine it manually, and it paid off. We managed to see these beauties. Native urine sediment preparation, 400x magnification.

Renal Epithelial Cells with Fatty Degeneration in Urine

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:35:13 +0300

Renal epithelial cells with fatty degeneration. Cells are significantly enlarged (2-4 times larger than a leukocyte), densely packed with fat droplets. When viewed at low magnification, they strongly refracted light, appearing as dark brown spots. Native preparation, magnification x400

Mast Cells and Eosinophils in Flora Smear Microscopy

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 08:45:20 +0300

Mast cells in the flora smear. Also, after restaining, some leukocytes turned out to be eosinophils. The preparation was stained with methylene blue, then restained with Romanowsky. Magnification x1000

Plasma Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Clinical Case

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 13:07:44 +0300

Plasma cells in a stained cerebrospinal fluid smear. The patient has a history of cerebellar glioblastoma. CSF was collected 1.5 months after tumor resection surgery. The slide was stained with Romanowsky stain, x1000 magnification

Triple Phosphate Crystals in Stool: Fecal Microscopy

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:00 +0300

🔬 Triple phosphates in stool. Classic “coffin lids” in stool most often lose their recognizable structure. The crystals begin to crack, crumble, split, and sometimes become smooth. If there are doubts about identification during microscopy, an acetic acid preparation can help. As is known, triple phosphates form in an alkaline environment, and in an acidic environment, they will dissolve. Stool samples for coprological examination, magnification 100x, 400x

Intracellular Starch in Coprogram: Fecal Microscopy

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:00:01 +0300

🔬 Intracellular starch at different stages of digestion. Native preparation and preparation with Lugol’s solution. The staining intensity will depend on the degree of digestion and varies from almost black to pale pink. Magnification x100 and x400

Urine Sediment Microscopy: Erythrocytes, Fungal Spores, Flora

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:00:01 +0300

🔬 Urine specimen, Romanowsky stain. Erythrocytes, fungal spores, and rod-shaped (bacillary) flora are visible in the field of view. Magnification x1000

🙏 Material kindly provided by biochemist Daniil Adamov, Moscow

Fecal Microscopy: Yeast-like Fungi Spores and Mycelium

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 12:00:33 +0300

🔬 Spores and mycelium of yeast-like fungi in feces. Specimens with Lugol’s solution and methylene blue. Magnification x100, x400.

🙏 Material kindly provided by biochemist Daniil Adamov, Moscow

Perls' Reaction in Sputum: Heart Failure Cells

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 14:30:00 +0300

Positive Perls’ reaction in alveolar macrophages. Perls’ reaction is a method for detecting trivalent iron within hemosiderin and ferritin. The reagents used are potassium ferrocyanide and hydrochloric acid of equal concentration (5%) and equal volume. Hydrochloric acid ensures the availability of the iron cation by breaking down hemosiderin and forming iron(III) chloride. Iron chloride, in turn, reacts with the potassium ferrocyanide solution, forming a mixture of hexacyanoferrates(II) – pigments collectively known as Prussian blue. In laboratory diagnostics and histology, this reaction is used to detect hemosiderin in macrophages. Alveolar macrophages laden with hemosiderin are called “heart failure cells”. Such cells originate from alveolar septal macrophages that have engulfed erythrocyte debris, with hemoglobin being converted into hemosiderin. Heart failure cells accumulate in the alveolar lumen during pulmonary congestion. Sputum smear, stained with Perls’ reaction. Magnification x100, x200, x400

Phosphate Crystals in Urine: Triple Phosphate and Magnesium Phosphate

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:30:00 +0300

🔬 Phosphoric acid salts. 1-3 photos: “coffin lids” and “clothes pegs” of triple phosphates, pH 7.5. 4-8 photos: “flat prisms”, “dumbbells”, “inverted quadrilateral cups” of neutral magnesium phosphate, pH 9.0. A distinctive feature is the presence of ammonium ions in triple phosphates, formed during ammoniacal fermentation. Native preparation. Magnification x100 (photos 1-5), x400 (photos 6-8).

Ammonium Urate Crystals in Urine Sediment at pH 7.5

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:40:18 +0300

🔬 Ammonium urate crystals appear as golden-brown spheres. Sediment with this composition takes on a yellow-gray hue. Most often, such salts are found in alkaline urine and may be combined with triple phosphate crystals. In this case, the pH is 7.5. Native urine preparation. Magnification x100 (photos 2-6), x400 (photos 7-8). 🙏 Material kindly provided by biochemist Daniil Adamov, Moscow

Fungal Mycelium in Native Sputum Smear Microscopy

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:00:02 +0300

🍂 “Tree with falling leaves.” 🔬 Mycelium amidst erythrocytes in a native sputum smear. Magnification 400x and 100x.

🔬 Material kindly provided by biochemist Daniil Adamov, Moscow

Echinococcus Scolexes in Native Liver Cyst Preparation

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:00:01 +0300

🔬 Echinococci in liver cyst contents. Native preparation.

🙏 Material kindly provided by biochemist Daniil Adamov, Moscow