Auer rods

Bone marrow aspirate showing acute myeloid leukemia with Auer rods in several blasts

Auer rods are seen in the leukemic blasts of acute myelogenous leukemia. Auer rods are clumps of azurophilic granular material that form elongated needles seen in the cytoplasm of leukemic blasts. They are composed of fused lysosomes and contain peroxidase, lysosomal enzymes, and large crystalline inclusions.

These cytoplasmic inclusions were named by John Auer, an American physiologist (1875-1948).

Reference

Auer J. Some hitherto undescribed structures found in the large lymphocytes of a case of acute leukaemia. Am J Med Sci 1906;131:1002-1015.

External links

[NIH/Medline (includes image)]
[Slides]
[University of Utah]

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