What peripheral smear finding is consistent with reticulocytosis?

Polychromatophilia is a key finding in a peripheral blood smear that indicates reticulocytosis. Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells that typically have a bluish tint when stained because they contain residual ribosomal RNA. This characteristic color, referred to as polychromatophilia, indicates that the bone marrow is actively producing red blood cells in response to anemia or blood loss.

This finding is significant as it reflects the body’s compensatory mechanism to increase red blood cell production to restore oxygen-carrying capacity. In patients experiencing conditions like hemolytic anemia or after acute blood loss, the presence of reticulocytes can be markedly increased, leading to the appearance of polychromatophilic red blood cells on the smear.

Other options, such as hypersegmented neutrophils, target cells, and sickle cells, are associated with different hematological conditions and do not specifically indicate reticulocytosis. Hypersegmented neutrophils are often seen in megaloblastic anemia, target cells are commonly associated with liver disease or thalassemia, and sickle cells are indicative of sickle cell disease. Thus, their presence does not correlate with the active regeneration of reticulocytes in the context of