Endothelial cells: An Accidental Finding in Peripheral Smear

Background:Normal endothelial cells may be present as artifacts in peripheral smears prepared from venous blood sample.The interpretation of these cells in blood smears should be done cautiously.Endothelial or endothelial-like cells have also been described in few diseases,which may lead to erroneous diagnosis.Case: Thirty-eight years old male presented with symptoms of acute pancreatitis.Romanowsky stained peripheral smear revealed mild monocytosis and presence of elongated cells in sheets and singly which were diagnosed as endothelial cells.Conclusion:Differentiating artifact endothelial cells from diagnostically significant cells is utmost important in order to avoid diagnostic fallacies.This phenomenon can also be prevented by due caution during preparation of smears from venous blood samples.