A 62-year-old man has had back pain for 4 months. No abnormal findings are noted on physical examination. A CBC shows a WBC count of 3700/microliter, hemoglobin 10.3 g/dL, hematocrit 31.1%, MCV 85 fL, and platelet count 110,000/microliter. His total serum protein is 8.5 gm/dl with an albumin of 4.1 gm/dl. A chest radiograph shows no abnormalities of heart or lung fields, but there are several lucencies noted in the vertebral bodies. A sternal bone marrow aspirate is performed and yields a dark red jelly-like material in the syringe. Which of the following cell types is most likely to be numerous on microscopic examination of this aspirate?
A 62-year-old man has had back pain for 4 months. No abnormal findings are noted on physical examination. A CBC shows a WBC count of 3700/microliter, hemoglobin 10.3 g/dL, hematocrit 31.1%, MCV 85 fL, and platelet count 110,000/microliter. His total serum protein is 8.5 gm/dl with an albumin of 4.1 gm/dl. A chest radiograph shows no abnormalities of heart or lung fields, but there are several lucencies noted in the vertebral bodies. A sternal bone marrow aspirate is performed and yields a dark red jelly-like material in the syringe. Which of the following cell types is most likely to be numerous on microscopic examination of this aspirate?
💡 Explanation
A 62-year-old man has had back pain for 4 months. No abnormal findings are noted on physical examination. A CBC shows a WBC count of 3700/microliter, hemoglobin 10.3 g/dL, hematocrit 31.1%, MCV 85 fL, and platelet count 110,000/microliter. His total serum protein is 8.5 gm/dl with an albumin of 4.1 gm/dl. A chest radiograph shows no abnormalities of heart or lung fields, but there are several lucencies noted in the vertebral bodies. A sternal bone marrow aspirate is performed and yields a dark red jelly-like material in the syringe. Which of the following cell types is most likely to be numerous on microscopic examination of this aspirate?
✓ Correct Answer: D. Plasma cells
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