Flow Cytometry Side Scatter / CD45 Monocyte Gate

Monocytes have less cellular complexity than neutrophils, but have more nuclear irregularity than lymphocytes and can be vacuolated. As such, they occupy the intermediate side scatter / CD45+ area of the SSc vs CD45 plot.

Flow Cytometry: Monocyte Gate
Monocytes are CD45+ with an intermediate side scatter.

Cells that can occupy the monocyte window include:

  • Monocytes and promonocytes.
  • Monoblasts (less frequently, tend to be CD45 dim).
  • Hairy cell leukaemia (especially variant hairy cell).
  • Dysplastic granulocytic cells.
  • Mast cell leukaemia.
  • Rare plasma cell neoplasms.
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