Anitschkow cell

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H&E stain demonstrating Anitschkow cells in rheumatic heart disease. Anitschkow Myocytes in an Aschoff Body, Rheumatic Myocarditis.jpg
H&E stain demonstrating Anitschkow cells in rheumatic heart disease.

In pathology, Anitschkow (or Anichkov [1] ) cells are often cells associated with rheumatic heart disease. [2] Anitschkow cells are enlarged macrophages found within granulomas (called Aschoff bodies) associated with the disease. [2]

The cells are also called caterpillar cells, as they have an ovoid nucleus and chromatin that is condensed toward the center of the nucleus in a wavy rod-like pattern that to some resembles a caterpillar. [2] Larger Anitschkow cells may coalesce to form multinucleated Aschoff giant cells. [2] Anitschkow cells were named after the Russian pathologist Nikolay Anichkov.[ citation needed ]

Squamous epithelial cells with nuclear changes resembling Anitschkow cells have also been observed in recurrent aphthous stomatitis, iron deficiency anemia, children receiving chemotherapy, as well as in healthy individuals. [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

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Aschoff cell Cells associated with rheumatic heart disease

In pathology, Aschoffcells are cells associated with rheumatic heart disease. They are found in Aschoff bodies surrounding centres of fibrinoid necrosis.
In comparison with Anitschkow cells their cytoplasm is more basophilic and can contain up to four nuclei.
Aschoff believed that Aschoff giant cells were some type of connective or endothelial tissue. Today Aschoff cells are considered to be derived from cardiac myocytes rather than connective tissue cells.

References

  1. Rheumatic fever at eMedicine
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. ISBN   0-7216-0187-1.
  3. Hine, Maynard K.; Shafer, William G. (1974). A textbook of oral pathology. Philadelphia: W.B.Saunders. ISBN   0-7216-2918-0.
  4. Wood TA, De Witt SH, Chu EW, Rabson AS, Graykowski EA (1975). "Anitschkow nuclear changes observed in oral smears". Acta Cytologica. 19 (5): 434–7. PMID   1058615.