Auer Rods

1. Auer rods (or Auer bodies) are large crystalline cytoplasmic inclusion bodies that are sometimes seen in myeloid blast cells during acute myeloid leukemia, acute promyelocytic leukemia, and high-grade myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders.

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2. Single rod-shaped pink or red inclusions seen in very immature granulocytes (“blasts”) in people with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ie acute myeloid leukemia; AML)
3. Auer rods are rod-like cytoplasmic inclusions found in myeloid precursors in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Auer rods are red spots, needle-shaped bodies seen in the cytoplasm of myeloblasts and / or progranulocytes in certain leukemias. Auer rods (see arrow in the image) are cytoplasmic inclusions that result from abnormal fusion of the primary (azurophilic) granules. Single or multiple Auer bars can be seen in the cytoplasm of a cell. If more than one is present, they are often close together and may even overlap.

Their identification is very important because, if found, they can confirm the presence of myeloblasts that indicate the presence of non-lymphocytic (myeloid) leukemia. They can also be seen in myeloid blast crisis in chronic granulocytic leukemia. Auer rods are never seen in lymphoblasts. This differentiation is important because the treatment of lymphoblastic and myeloblastic leukemia is different.

Auer Rods are always classified as pathological.

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