[Schistocytes: which definition should be taken and which method should be used to identify and count them?]

Schistocytes result from red cell fragmentation. The identification of the schistocytes is critical for appropriate management of the patients. We report the results of a survey about the determination of schistocytes. The analysis of the answers of 24 well-trained biologists points out the different approaches used to count these cells, and the urgent need for guidelines to identify and enumerate them.