Inflammation and repair: Dohle bodies: practice question

A Pathology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Pathology · Inflammation and repair: Dohle bodies

Sample item

A blood smear of a patient with sepsis shows neutrophils with coarse dark granules, vacuoles and small pale-blue cytoplasmic inclusions. What are these inclusions?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Dohle bodies, remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum

Toxic granulation, cytoplasmic vacuoles and Dohle bodies are toxic changes of neutrophils in sepsis and other severe inflammation. Dohle bodies are pale-blue inclusions composed of remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Auer rods are found in myeloblasts of acute myeloid leukaemia.

Option by option

  • A. Howell-Jolly bodies, nuclear remnants

    Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants within red cells after splenectomy.

  • B. Auer rods, fused primary granules

    Auer rods occur in myeloblasts of acute myeloid leukaemia and not in toxic neutrophils.

  • C. Dohle bodies, remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum (correct)

    Correct. Dohle bodies are pale-blue endoplasmic reticulum remnants in toxic neutrophils.

  • D. Heinz bodies, denatured haemoglobin

    Heinz bodies are denatured haemoglobin inclusions in red cells in G6PD deficiency.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Pathology question

What is the answer to this Pathology question?

The best answer is C, Dohle bodies, remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Toxic granulation, cytoplasmic vacuoles and Dohle bodies are toxic changes of neutrophils in sepsis and other severe inflammation.

Why is "Howell-Jolly bodies, nuclear remnants" not the answer?

Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants within red cells after splenectomy.

Why is "Auer rods, fused primary granules" not the answer?

Auer rods occur in myeloblasts of acute myeloid leukaemia and not in toxic neutrophils.

Why is "Heinz bodies, denatured haemoglobin" not the answer?

Heinz bodies are denatured haemoglobin inclusions in red cells in G6PD deficiency.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Inflammation and repair: Dohle bodies in Pathology. Dohle bodies are pale-blue inclusions composed of remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Auer rods are found in myeloblasts of acute myeloid leukaemia.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Inflammation and repair: Dohle bodies?

Learn each disease as a bundle: cause, key histology, markers, and the clinical hallmark. Then use the flashcards and the other Pathology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.