Pathology findings in Psychiatry

Question 1

FindingPapp-Lantos bodies

Answer 1

Associated conditionMultisystem atrophy

DescriptionGlial cytoplasmic inclusion bodies visible in the CNS

Question 2

Pick bodies

Answer 2

Associated conditionFrontotemporal dementia

DescriptionLarge, dark-staining aggregates of proteins in neurological tissue

Question 3

Lewy bodies

Answer 3

Associated conditionParkinson’s disease and Lewy Body dementia
DescriptionRound, concentrically laminated, pale eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions (aggregates of alpha-synuclein)

Question 4

Asteroid bodies

Answer 4

Associated conditionSarcoidosis and berylliosis

DescriptionAcidophilic, stellate inclusions in giant cells

Question 5

Barr bodies

Answer 5

Associated conditionStains of X chromosomes

DescriptionInactivated X chromosome - dark staining mass in contact with the nuclear membrane

Question 6

Mallory bodies

Answer 6

Associated conditionFound in alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, Wilson’s disease, primary-biliary cirrhosis
DescriptionAlcoholic hyalin - eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions in hepatocytes: intermediate filaments, predominantly prekeratin

Question 7

Schaumann bodies

Answer 7

Associated conditionSarcoidosis and berylliosis

DescriptionConcentrically laminated inclusions (up to 50�m) in giant cells

Question 8

Zebra bodies

Answer 8

Associated conditionNiemann-Pick disease, Tay-Sachs disease, or any of the mucopolysaccharidoses
DescriptionPalisaded lamellated membranous cytoplasmic bodies seen in macrophages

Question 9

FindingLE bodies (AKA hematoxylin bodies)

Answer 9

Associated conditionSLE (lupus)
DescriptionNuclei of damaged cells with bound anti-nuclear antibodies which become homogeneous and loose chromatin pattern

Question 10

Verocay bodies

Answer 10

Associated conditionSchwannoma (Neurilemoma)
DescriptionPalisades of nuclei at the end of a fibrillar bundle

Question 11

Hirano bodies

Answer 11

Associated conditionNormal aging but more numerous in Alzheimers disease
DescriptionEosinophilic, football shaped inclusion seen in neurons of the brain

Question 12

Neurofibrillary tangles

Answer 12

Associated conditionAlzheimer’s disease

DescriptionMicrotubule-associated proteins and neurofilaments

Question 13

FindingKayser-Fleischer rings

Answer 13

Associated conditionWilson’s disease

DescriptionRings of discoloration on cornea

Question 14

Kuru plaques

Answer 14

Associated conditionKuru and Gerstmann-Str�ussler syndrome, and are sometimes present in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
DescriptionKuru plaques are composed partly of a host-encoded prion protein

Question 15

Sarcoidosis

Answer 15

Sarcoidosis is a condition in which collections of chronic inflammatory cells (granulomas) form as nodules. They can form in any organ and so the presentation is characteristically varied.

Common symptoms and signs include:-

fatigue
weight loss
dry eyes
breathlessness (the lungs are the commonest areas for granulomas to form)
rashes and skin changes (including erythema nodosum)

Psychiatric problems occur in approximately 20% of cases and are typically either problems with depression or psychosis.