Definition

Noun: A sideroblast is an immature red blood cell (an erythroblast) that contains granules of ferritin, an iron-storage protein, within its cytoplasm.

Usage

The term is used specifically in the fields of hematology and medicine to describe a particular stage or condition of red blood cell development. * The bone marrow biopsy revealed the presence of sideroblasts. * Ring sideroblasts are a key diagnostic feature in certain types of anemia.

Advanced Usage

• Ring Sideroblast: A pathological type of sideroblast where iron-laden mitochondria form a ring around the nucleus. This is a hallmark of certain myelodysplastic syndromes.
  • The identification of ring sideroblasts is crucial for diagnosing myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS).

Variants and Related Words

• Sideroblastic (adjective): Pertaining to or characterized by sideroblasts.
  • The patient was diagnosed with sideroblastic anemia.

Synonyms

• None that are exact. It is a specific histological term.

Different Meanings

This word has only one specific, technical meaning in medical science.

Noun

1. an erythroblast having granules of ferritin