CLINICAL MEDICINE

Detailed explanation-1: -Hypersegmentation. The presence of hypersegmented neutrophils is an important diagnostic feature of megaloblastic anaemias. Neutrophil hypersegmentation can be defined as the presence of neutrophils with six or more lobes or the presence of more than 3% of neutrophils with at least five lobes.

Detailed explanation-2: -However, the characteristic finding of oval macrocytosis and hypersegmented neutrophils was key in both cases, ultimately resulting in the diagnosis of B12 deficiency. A normal neutrophil has up to three to four segments in its nucleus, and a hypersegmented neutrophil has six or greater.

Detailed explanation-3: -A normal mature neutrophil is 10-15 µm in diameter and contains 3-5 lobes or segments. When the number of segments is increased to six or more the cell is hypersegmented. Some hypersegmented cells will be larger than in 15 microns.