Noncrystalline inclusions in erythrocytes of a rhinoceros iguana.

Abstract

In the following case, intracytoplasmic and intranuclear noncrystalline inclusions are found in the erythrocytes of a male Rhinoceros Iguana. Ultrastructurally, cytoplasmic inclusions are hexagonal with sharp borders not bound by a membrane. Similar to surrounding hemoglobin in that they are amorphous, homogenous and composed of finely textured material, the inclusions are easily differentiated by their symmetry and weak electron density. Nuclear inclusions are observed causing margination of chromatin and nucleoplasm. They are also easily distinguished by their hexagonal shape, weak electron density and the greater granularity of the surrounding nucleoplasm. The case is unusual because noncrystalline inclusions other than Heinz bodies have not yet been described in the erythrocytes of animals with nucleated red cells.