Bodies / Cells Flashcards
Antoni A Body
Cellular area of schwannomas; abundant Verocay bodies
Antoni B Body
HypOcellular area of schwannomas; loose myxoid stroma and low cellularity
Asteroid Bodies
Star-shaped, eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions; a/w sarcoid & granulomatous dz
Balloon Cells
Clear-appearing cells w/vesicular cytoplasm, small hypERchromatic nucleus w/pseudonuclear inclusions; a/w balloon cell nevus/melanoma
Banana Bodies
Crescentic golden yellow-brown (ochre) fibers in dermis; a/w ochronosis (endogenous / homogentisic acid > exogenous / hydroquinone)
Bean Bag Cells
Histiocytes that have engulfed WBCs, RBCs, and nuclear debris (cytophagocytosis); a/w cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis, SPTCL, HLH, lupus profundus
Birbeck Granules
Only seen on electron microscopy; tennis racket structures / rods; Pathognomonic for Langerhans cells and LCH cells. NB: Langerin (CD207) is major component of Birbeck granules → Langerin immunostain most specific (> CD1a) for LCH/Langerhans cells
Caterpillar Bodies
Eosinophilic, comprised of BMZ material (PAS+, collagen 4+), in roof of blisters and basal layer of epi; a/w PCT, EPP. NB: made of the same material as Kamino bodies (Spitz nevi)
Cholesterol Clefts
Elongated, needle-shaped clear spaces once occupied by cholesterol (removed by paraffin embedding); w/i adipocytes (radiating pattern): SQ fat necrosis of newborn, sclerema neonatorum, poststeroid panniculitis; w/i dermis: NXG (> NLD), plane/eruptive xanthoma; w/i arterioles: cholesterol embolism (fibrin thrombus surrounds cholesterol)
Cigar bodies
Oval yeast (PAS+ and GMS+). a/w sporotrichosis. May also see “sporothrix asteroid” bodies = yeast with radiating pink hyaline material (immune complexes on yeast surface)
Civatte / Colloid / Cytoid Bodies
Apoptotic keratinocytes (eosinophilic); a/w LP, interface dermatitis
Clover Leaf Cells
Atypical T-lymphocytes with a cloverleaf or flower-like nucleus; seen in peripheral blood; pathognomonic for HTLV-induced adult T cell lymphoma
Comma-shaped bodies
Comma-shaped electron dense membranes seen within histiocytes (electron microscopy); Classically a/w benign cephalic histiocytosis but also JXG
Corps ronds
single or grouped, round keratinocytes w/perinuclear halo, brightly eosinophilic cytoplasm, pyknotic nucleus; in spinous layer > corneum; a/w Darier’s, warty dyskeratoma, Grover’s, Hailey-Hailey, acantholytic dyskeratotic acanthoma (trunk #1 site), papular acantholytic dyskeratosis (multiple lesions on vulva, mistaken for condyloma), PRP (focally)
Grains
smaller, flattened keratinocytes resembling parakeratosis; in granular layer/corneum; a/w Darier’s, warty dyskeratoma, Grover’s, Hailey-Hailey, acantholytic dyskeratotic acanthoma (trunk #1 site), papular acantholytic dyskeratosis (multiple lesions on vulva, mistaken for condyloma), PRP (focally)
Cowdry A Body
Intranuclear inclusions (eosinophilic globules) surrounded by halo; a/w HSV, VZV, CMV (“owl’s eye” endothelial cells)
Cowdry B body
Intranuclear inclusions; a/w poliovirus > adenovirus
Donovan Bodies
Intracytoplasmic “safety pin”-shaped bacteria in macrophages; a/w Granuloma inguinale
Dutcher body
Pseudo-intranuclear pink mass of immunoglobulins within plasma cells; Classically a/w malignant B-cells: B-cell lymphoma, multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom’s
Flame figures
Major basic protein from eosinophils deposited on collagen; a/w Wells syndrome, dermal hypersensitivity, BP (rarely). Note: Neutrophilic processes (PNGD, RA) can have bluish-purple “flame figure-like” structures from neutrophilic debris deposited on collagen
Floret cells
Multinucleated giant cells with peripherally located overlapping nuclei (resembles a flower) and “smudgy”/ indistinct chromatin; a/w pleomorphic lipoma
Gamma-Favre Body
Intracytoplasmic basophilic inclusions within endothelial cells; a/w LGV
Gaucher Cells
Glucocerebroside-laden histiocytes (“crinkled tissue paper-like histiocytes”); a/w Gaucher’s disease
Ghost / shadow cells (keratinized)
Anucleate, eosinophilic, keratinized cells with ghost-like outline where the nucleus previously resided; often surrounded by transitional cells and basaloid cells; a/w pilomatricoma, pilar cyst
Ghost cells (lipocytes)
Blue-purple calcium outlines remnants of necrotic lipocytes; a/w pancreatic panniculitis
Globi
Amphophilic, encapsulated collections of mycobacteria; a/w lepromatous leprosy
Other leprosy buzzword: Virchow cells (pale, foamy histiocytes parasitized by M. leprae)
Glomus bodies
Specialized AV shunts that bypass capillaries; mostly on fingers / toes; temperature regulation; a/w Glomus tumor: solid nodular proliferation of glomus cells; and glomangiomas: ectatic vascular malformation w/ fewer glomus cells than glomus tumor; widespread anatomic distribution
Guarnieri body
Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions; a/w smallpox
Hallmark (horseshoe) cells
Markedly atypical, large T-lymphs w/horseshoe-shaped nucleus; ALCL and LyP
Henderson-Paterson Bodies
Pink intracytoplasmic inclusions a/w molluscum
Kamino Bodies
Collections of amorphous eosinophilic/hyaline BMZ material (PAS+, collagen IV+) in tips of dermal papillae and w/i epidermis; a/w Spitz nevi; NOT seen in melanoma
Koilocytes
Keratinocytes w/ viral cytopathic changes (perinuclear halo, shrunken hyperchromatic nucleus, irregular nuclear contours); a/w HPV (may just see vacuolated keratinocytes + coarse keratohyaline granules)
Langhans giant cells
Histiocytic giant cells with a peripheral (“horse-shoe”) arrangement of nuclei; Classically a/w TB, but often seen in sarcoidosis and other granulomatous dz. [Not to be confused with LangERhans cells!]
Mariner’s wheel
Central round yeast (60 µm) w/ multiple radiating buds; a/w Paracoccidioidomycosis
Max-Jospeh spaces
Focal clefts at DEJ formed by extreme damage to basal layer from interface dermatitis; a/w LP (or, if very exaggerated, bullous LP)
Medlar bodies
Thick-walled clusters of brown round yeast forms (“copper pennies”); a/w chromomycosis. ddx: pigmented hyphae seen in phaeohyphomycosis
Michaelis-Gutmann body
Round, calcified, and laminated bacterial remnants; a/w malakoplakia
Miescher’s radial granuloma
Small granuloma comprised of radially arrayed histiocytes around a central cleft located in fat septae; a/w erythema nodosum. [Do not confuse with “Miescher’s granuloma,” aka actinic granuloma of O’Brien, or annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma]
Mikulicz cells
Foamy histiocytes containing gram negative rods (klebsiella rhinoscleromatis); a/w rhinoscleroma. [Other rhinoscleroma buzzword: Russell bodies.]
Mulberry Cells
Large pink/red fat cells w/central nucleus (vs normal peripheral) and multi-vacuolated, granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm; a/w Hibernoma [tumor of brown fat; most common in adults on neck / upper back]
Morula
Organism (2–11 µm) with numerous internal septations; appears similar to morula stage of embryogenesis or like “soccer ball”; PAS+ and GMS+; a/w Protothecosis (achloric alga)
Negri body
neuronal inclusion a/w rabies
Odland / lamellar bodies
Oval granules w/ lamellar organization seen on EM; contain phospholipids, glycoproteins, acid phosphatases; found in upper spinous and granular layers; major role in barrier fcn, keratinocyte cohesion; a/w Harlequin fetus (absent), Flegel’s disease (decreased or absent)
papillary mesenchymal bodies
Condensed clusters of fibroblasts adjacent to basaloid epithelial follicular buds; recapitulates appearance of normal hair bulb (dermal papilla-hair matrix); a/w Trichoep, desmoplastic trichoep, and trichoblastoma. [Absent in BCC.]
psammoma body
Concentric, calcified laminated spheres a/w Meningioma, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, and ovarian cancer
Pustulo-ovoid bodies of Milian
Round eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions comprised of lysosomes/Golgi material (PAS+, diastase-resistant), a/w granular cell tumor
Reed-Sternberg Cells
Large atypical lymphoid cells derived from germinal center B-cells; characteristic bilobed nucleus w/prominent central nucleolus giving “owl eye” appearance; CD30+, CD15+, PAX-5+ (B-cell origin); a/w Hodgkin lymphoma
Reed-Sternberg-like cells
Similar to Reed-Sternberg cells on H&E, but are T-cells; CD3+, CD4+, CD30+, CD15-; a/w LyP, ALCL
Rocha-Lima bodies
intracytoplasmic inclusions w/i endothelial cells; a/w Oroya fever, verruga peruana
Russell bodies
Intracytoplasmic IG collections (eosinophilic) stuffing cytoplasm of plasma cells; a/w Rhinoscleroma, Granuloma inguinale. [classically a/w benign dx (“happy, pregnant plasma cells”) vs malignant assoc. Dutcher bodies.]
Schaumann bodies
Calcified laminated collections a/w sarcoid
Sezary cells
Atypical lymphocytes with cerebriform nuclei a/w MF, sezary syndrome
Signet ring cells
Cell with eccentric nucleus and large pool of intracytoplasmic mucin (pushes nucleus to periphery); a/w any mucin-producing adenocarcinoma (usually metastatic in skin)
Sunburn cells
Dyskeratotic keratinocytes scattered in upper and mid-epidermis (> basal layer); a/w sunburns, phototoxic drug
Touton giant cells
Large, multinucleated histiocytes w/wreath-like nuclei and peripheral cytoplasmic lipid; a/w JXG (and other xanthomas), dermatofibroma (often contain hemosiderin. [Note: ubiquitous in DF, but not seen in DFSP!]
Verocay bodies
Two stacked rows of elongated palisading nuclei surrounding amorphous pink material (cytoplasmic processes of Schwann cells); seen in hypercellular / Antoni A areas of schwannomas
Virchow cells
Foamy histiocytes parasitized by acid fast bacilli; a/w Lepromatous leprosy. [Other boards buzzword: globi – encapsulated amphophilic masses of M. leprae]
Von Hansemann cells
Large histiocytes w/granular eosinophilic cytoplasm containing Michaelis-Gutmann bodies; a/w malakoplakia
Weibel-Palade Bodies
Cytoplasmic organelle of endothelial cells seen only with EM; contains vWF and P-selectin; von Willebrand disease is caused by qualitative or quantitative vWF deficiency
