Clinically, there are several laboratory tests that can assist the physicians to arrive at a diagnosis. A careful study of the blood film often offers many clues eg. changes in shape/size/colour of the blood cell, any abnormal intracellular inclusions, any parasites or worms present, etc. With these blood features as a guide, the clinician can proceed to other tests for diagnostic confirmation. These confirmatory tests may include a genetic study for certain hereditary disorders, biochemical determination of certain intracellular/extracellular chemical levels such as iron/folate, CT scan of the spleen for possible splenic disorders, bone marrow/lymph node biopsy for malignancies, etc.
