Megakaryoblast

Megakaryoblast
Haematopoiesis
Bone marrow smears of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, with May-Grün-wald-Giemsa staining, ×100. (A) Cytoplasmic blebs (black arrow) and binucleated cell. (B) Cell cluster giving a pseudo-solid tumor aspect of AMKL.
Identifiers
THH2.00.04.3.05002
FMA84235
Anatomical terms of microanatomy

A megakaryoblast (from mega- 'large' karyo- 'cell nucleus' and -blast 'precursor cell') is a precursor cell to a promegakaryocyte. During thrombopoiesis, the promegakaryocyte matures into the form of a megakaryocyte. From the megakaryocyte, platelets are formed.[1] The megakaryoblast is the beginning of the thrombocytic series or platelet forming series.

Megakaryoblasts typically have a large oval-shaped nucleus or a nucleus that is lobed with many nuclei.[2] The megakaryoblast resembles the myeloblast or lymphoblast morphologically; however the megakaryoblast varies in phenotype and the structure viewed with electron microscopy.[2][3]

Increased amounts of megakaryoblasts in the bone marrow may indicate a disease state.[4] An example of this is acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, which occurs when the level of megakaryoblasts in the bone marrow exceeds 20%.[5]

  1. ^ Martin EA, Law J, eds. (2020). Concise medical dictionary (OQR) and concise colour medical dictionary. Oxford quick reference (10th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-883661-2.
  2. ^ a b Kawthalkar SM (2012). Essentials Of Haematology. Internet Archive (2nd ed.). Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. p. 231. ISBN 978-93-5090-184-7.
  3. ^ Porwit A, McCullough J, Erber WN (2011). Blood and bone marrow pathology (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7020-3147-2.
  4. ^ Theml H, Diem H, Haferlach T, Theml H (2004). Color Atlas of Hematology: Practical Microscopic and Clinical Diagnosis. Thieme flexibooks (2nd Revised ed.). Stuttgart New York: Thieme. ISBN 978-3-13-673102-4.
  5. ^ Kawthalkar SM (2012). Essentials Of Haematology. Internet Archive (2nd ed.). Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. p. 256. ISBN 978-93-5090-184-7.