OVALOCYTOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SICKLE CELL TRAIT

1. A patient has been presented whose circulating red blood cells were composed of 65-84 per cent ovalocytes, 3-11 per cent sickled cells, and some normal appearing discoid cells.

2. The red blood cell counts and the blood indices were within normal limitations.

3. The red blood cells showed an increased resistance to hypotonic saline solutions.

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4. The peripheral blood showed a daily variation in the percentage of circulating ovalocytes, from 65 per cent to 84 per cent, and in the percentage of circulating sickle cells, from 3 per cent to 11 per cent.

5. After 72 hours in fresh wet preparations the per cent of ovalocytes remained essentially unchanged from that of fresh fixed blood.

6. The percentage of sickled cells was found to be increased after 18, 24, and 72 hours in fresh wet preparations as compared to the percentage of sickled cells found in fresh fixed preparations.

7. Some of the normal appearing discoid red blood cells were observed to sickle in fresh wet preparations within 18 hours.