hemagglutination; erythrocyte agglutination

Introduction

Agglutination or clumping of erythrocytes.

Etiology

• cold agglutinin syndrome

Pathology

• immune response secondary to specific antibody to red cell antigens or other antigens which adhere to erythrocytes
• non-immune secondary to viruses or other microbes

Laboratory

• peripheral blood smear
  • agglutination (erythrocyte clumping rather than stacking {rouleaux})
  • agglutination disappears if smear is prepared at 37 C

More general terms

• agglutination
• abnormal laboratory test

Additional terms

• hemagglutinin
• rouleaux in blood