Schüffner's dots
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What are Schüffner's dots?
Schüffner's dots are red-purple dots seen in P.vivax. They are morphologically indistinguishable from the James' dots of P.ovale but are very diffrent from the more dense and blue coloured Maurer's dots and clefts of P.falciparum. Like all parasite structures Schüffner's dots form progressively, and may not be seen in very early trophozoites.
The most frequent form - two early trophozoites of P.falciparum in a single erythrocyte
Species significance Most often considered a feature indicating P.falciparum infection, and is certainly frequent in that species where it can be used to support the diagnosis. However, the form should not considered as specific, and may occur in any species (and is also a frequent finding for babesia parasites). Additional images Double parasites in: late trophozoite of P.malaria (A) late trophozoite of P.vivax (B) and late trophozoite of P.ovale (C)
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