These crescent or sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) are present in sickle cell anemia, and look very different from the normal round RBCs. These abnormally shaped cells may become entrapped and block blood flow in the small blood vessels (capillaries).

Review Date: 06/01/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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