Maurer's dots and clefts

Maurer maurer's dots and clefts

Description: These are blue-grey dots or linear structures contained within erythrocytes infected by the late trophozoites of P.falciparum and represent modification of the red cell by the parasite. The structures differ from the dot in p.vivax or p.ovale since they are few in number you could imagine being able to count them (in the unlikely case that you wanted to). They are not seen in early trophozoites.

Species significance: These dots are restricted to P.falciparum and can be distinguished from schuffner's dots of P.vivax or the James dots of P.ovale by their blue-grey colour, higher desity nd sometimes elongated (clefted) shape. Note that the dots appear only in late trophozoites.

Images:

Dots and clefts ve schuffner