Estudio morfológico en muestras de sangre periférica

Abstract

Red Blood Cell (RBC) deformation is caused by some illnesses like Sickle Cell Desease (SCD) that cause the hardening or polymerization of the hemoglobin contained in the erythrocytes. To support the clinical diagnosis it is convenient to carry out morphological studies of cellular deformation, but this process is annoying and prone to errors for the time that the specialist consumes in carrying out it. In this paper, we propose a method for an automated differential counter of RBC using peripheral blood smears image analysis. The objects of interest are detected considering the texture of the same ones initially, later on, active contours are initialized to obtain the borders of the cells and to carry out the morphological analysis that allows knowing how many they are deformed. 45 images of blood samples of SCD patients were used. The quantity of deformed erythrocytes was obtained with a 85% of effectiveness, considered favorable given the development conditions of the current process. The statistical validation had the approach of a 1er grade Clinical Laboratory specialist of Special Hematology Department of the General Hospital "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas" of Santiago de Cuba. © 2013 Springer.