Pathology Study Notes: “Bodies in Disease” (Cellular & Tissue Inclusions)

Master the pathology study notes for the different kinds of bodies as per the disease in human like Negri bodies, Mallory bodies & psammoma bodies, with the Complete list.

These Pathology study notes are especially useful for any medical student whowill help during the medical study and the special medical exam like USMLE, NEET exam, NMCLE Exams, Australian medical exams, Canadian medical exam, and almost all sorts of medical exams. Hope these will help to enrich knowledge for the medical students.

Bodies in Disease- Pathological Aspect

Bodies in pathology are important for each and every medical exam . These pathological bodies are microscopic intracellular or extracellular structures that are named after their discoverers or appearance, often indicative of specific diseases.

they are included as

1. viral inclusion bodies
2. Bacterial and Protozoal Inclusions
3. Pigment-related bodies
4. Neurological bodies

Let’s memorize these bodies one by one for your study and exam

I. Viral Inclusion Bodies

• Location: Within the nucleus or cytoplasm of infected cells.
• Composition: Aggregates of viral particles and proteins.
• Key Examples:
  • Negri bodies: Cytoplasmic, eosinophilic, round. Pathognomonic for Rabies. Found in neurons (especially Purkinje cells of the cerebellum).
  • Cowdry type A: Intranuclear, eosinophilic, with halo. Seen in Herpesvirus (HSV, CMV, VZV) infections.
  • Cowdry type B: Intranuclear, without halo. Seen in Polio & Adenovirus.
  • Owl’s eye inclusions: Large intranuclear inclusions in cells infected with Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
  • Warthin-Finkeldey cells: Multinucleated giant cells with grape-like clusters of nuclei. Found in lymphoid tissues in Measles.

II. Bacterial & Protozoal Inclusion Bodies

• Location: Usually within macrophages or infected cells.
• Key Examples:
  • M. leprae in macrophages: Clusters of acid-fast bacilli within macrophages (“globi”) in Lepromatous Leprosy.
  • Mallory’s bodies (Mallory-Denk bodies): Cytoplasmic, eosinophilic aggregates of cytokeratin intermediate filaments in hepatocytes. Classically seen in Alcoholic Hepatitis, also in NASH, and Wilson’s disease.
  • Psammoma bodies: Extracellular, concentrically laminated calcified spherules.
    • Associated with: Papillary carcinomas (thyroid, ovary, endometrium), meningioma, mesothelioma.
  • Michaelis-Gutmann bodies: Laminated, bull’s-eye calcospherites within macrophages. Pathognomonic for Malakoplakia (a chronic inflammatory condition often in the bladder).

III. Non-Viral, Non-Bacterial Proteinaceous Inclusions

• Location: Often cytoplasmic, representing abnormal protein accumulation.
• Key Examples:
  • Russell bodies: Rounded, eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in plasma cells. Represent accumulated immunoglobulin (Ig). Seen in chronic inflammation/plasmacytosis.
  • Councilman bodies (Apoptotic bodies): Eosinophilic, globular remnants of apoptotic hepatocytes. Seen in Viral Hepatitis (especially Yellow Fever).
  • Hyaline: A descriptive term for any homogeneous, glassy, eosinophilic material on H&E stain.
    • Examples: Hyaline arteriolosclerosis (in hypertension, diabetes), alcoholic hyaline (Mallory bodies), hyaline membranes in alveolar ducts (in Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome).

IV. Pigment-Related “Bodies”

• Location: Intracellular (often in macrophages) or extracellular.
• Key Examples:
  • Aschoff bodies: Focal interstitial granulomas in myocardium. Characteristics of Rheumatic Fever. Not a true inclusion but a distinct lesion.
  • Ferruginous bodies: Asbestos or other mineral fibers coated with iron and protein (appear golden-brown, beaded). Found in lung tissue/sputum; marker of exposure (e.g., to Asbestos, causing Asbestosis and mesothelioma).
  • Corpora amylacea: Laminated, basophilic bodies in the prostate (associated with BPH) or the brain (aging, neurodegenerative diseases).

V. Neurological Disease Inclusions

• Location: Neuronal cell bodies or processes.
• Key Examples:
  • Lewy bodies: Eosinophilic, spherical cytoplasmic inclusions with a halo. Contain alpha-synuclein. Hallmark of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
  • Pick bodies: Round, argentophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in neurons. Contain tau protein. Characteristic of Frontotemporal Dementia (Pick’s disease).
  • Neurofibrillary tangles & Senile plaques: Characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Disease specific Bodies in pathology Notes

Listing out the specific pathology notes for the MBBS students and other medical students. They will help from your study and exam point of view. These specific points are also useful for the USMLE exam, NEET exam, NMCLE Exams, Australian medical exams, Canadian medical exam, and almost all sorts of medical exams.

This list of pathology study notes is about the Important bodies in pathology in various diseases and conditions.s

1. Aschoff bodies – rheumatic fever
2. Asteroid bodies – sarcoidosis, sporotrichosis
3. Barr body – inactivated X chromosome
4. Call exner bodies – granulosa cell Tumor
5. Civatte body – lichen planus
6. Councilman bodies – hepatitis, yellow fever
7. Creola bodies – bronchial asthma
8. Donovan bodies – lymphogranuloma venereum
9. Ferruginous bodies – asbestosis
10. Gamma gandy bodies – congestive splenomegaly
11. Heinz bodies – G6PD deficiency
12. Henderson-Peterson bodies – molluscum contagiosum
13. Hirano bodies – Alzheimer’s disease
14. Howell jolly bodies – post-splenectomy, ineffective erythropoiesis
15. Kamino bodies – spitz naevus, malignant melanoma
16. Lafora bodies – myoclonic epilepsy
17. Lewy bodies – Parkinson’s disease
18. Michaelis guttmann body – malakoplakia
19. Negri bodies – rabies
20. Pappenheimer bodies – sideroblastic
21. Pick bodies – pick disease
22. Schaumann bodies – sarcoidosis
23. Schiller Duval bodies – endodermal sinus Tumor
24. Verrocay bodies – schwannoma
25. Zebra bodies – metachromatic leucodystrophy

Pathology Study Notes Tips:

For each body to remember and keep in mind, focus on

1) Location (nuclear/cytoplasmic/cell type),

2) Stain (H&E appearance),

3) Major associated disease(s).

You can also use mnemonics and visual flashcards for recall and memory.