Historical perspective and clinical implications of the Pelger-Huet cell

The unique historical aspects of Pelger and Huet's discovery of the Pelger-Huet cell highlight the diagnostic challenge that this morphologic finding presents to the physician. Making the diagnosis of the benign autosomal dominant anomaly is complicated by the morphologically similar pseudo-Pelger-Huet cell, which can signify underlying myeloid dsyplasia. This article relates the history of the Pelger-Huet anomaly as well as describes the clinical significance and diagnostic workup for the finding of a Pelger-Huet cell on peripheral smear.