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[Plasmodium falciparum] [Plasmodium knowlesi] [Plasmodium malariae] [Plasmodium ovale] [Plasmodium vivax]

Maurer's clefts can be seen in P. falciparum infections containing older ring-form trophozoites and asexual stages.  Maurer's clefts resemble the Schüffner's dots seen in P. vivax and P. ovale, but are usually larger and more coarse.  Visualization of these structures is dependent on the quality of the smear preparation and the pH of the Giemsa stain.  Like Schüffner's dots, Maurer's clefts appear to play a role in the metabolic pathways of the infected RBCs.

A	B

A, B: Ring-form trophozoites of P. falciparum in a thin blood smear, exhibiting Maurer's clefts.

C	D

C, D: Ring-form trophozoites of P. falciparum in a thin blood smear, exhibiting Maurer's clefts.
 

E	F

E, F: Ring-form trophozoites of P. falciparum in a thin blood smear, exhibiting Maurer's clefts.