Which one of the following is NOT typically seen in the peripheral smear in megaloblastic anemia?

In megaloblastic anemia, a peripheral blood smear typically exhibits distinct cellular characteristics related to the underlying causes of the condition, which often involves vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.

Oval macrocytes are a hallmark finding in megaloblastic anemia, as the impaired synthesis of DNA during erythropoiesis leads to the production of abnormally large red blood cells. Hypersegmented neutrophils are also commonly observed, where neutrophils exhibit more than the usual number of lobes in their nuclei, indicating a disorder in the production of these white blood cells due to the same deficiency in DNA synthesis. Additionally, megaloblastic anemia can lead to bone marrow suppression, which often results in decreased platelet counts, known as thrombocytopenia.

In contrast, spherocytes are not typically seen in megaloblastic anemia. Rather, spherocytes are associated with different types of hemolytic anemias, such as hereditary spherocytosis or autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The presence of spherocytes indicates a defect in the red cell membrane or a process where red blood cells are destroyed prematurely, which is not characteristic of megaloblastic anemia where the main issue is an abnormality in red blood cell production due