Dohle bodies are most commonly found in which type of blood cell?

• A. Erythrocytes
• B. Neutrophils
• C. Platelets
• D. Nucleated RBCs

Answer: (B)

Dohle bodies are cytoplasmic inclusions inside neutrophils that appear as small, pale blue basophilic spots on Wright-type stains. They’re composed of remnants of rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, which accumulate when neutrophils are undergoing toxic changes due to severe infection or inflammation. Seeing these inclusions indicates that neutrophils are stressed and actively responding to systemic illness, such as sepsis, severe bacterial infection, or significant inflammatory conditions. They aren’t found in red blood cells, platelets, or nucleated red cells—their presence specifically reflects the activated state of neutrophils, not other blood cell types.