Hyaline Globules (Thanatosomes) in Gastrointestinal Epithelium

Abstract

Hyaline globules (HGs; thanatosomes) are well-defined morphologic and functional entities representing a degenerative phenomenon common to all cell types. We present the first quantitative and qualitative study of HGs in normal and pathologic gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium from a series of 2,230 biopsies. HGs were very rarely found in normal epithelium (1.1%), but their number increased significantly in specimens with ischemic injury (47%) and benign regenerative proliferation (70%). Their incidence in adenomatous polyps and adenocarcinomas was about 11% to 27%. Of the HGs, 2.9% contained nuclear fragments. Our results entirely support the unifying morphogenetic concept for HGs. The role of 2 obligatory morphogenetic factors for the generation of thanatosomes (propensity to apoptosis and heterophagy/autophagy) is confirmed. The nature of the third factor, ischemic conditions, is specified. Although a nonspecific microscopic phenomenon, HGs in the GI tract represented a relatively constant and useful histologic marker of enhanced cell turnover and ischemic injury.

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Unexpectedly High Prevalence of Cystoisospora belli Infection in Acalculous Gallbladders of Immunocompetent Patients

“…In the majority of cases, the parasite burden consisted of scattered inconspicuous clusters of inhabited epithelium; less commonly, there was patchy or moderately diffuse involvement of the epithelium. One potential histologic mimic, hyaline globules (also known as thanatasomes), 32 can be distinguished by the presence of epithelial injury with attendant inflammation, lack of a distinct vacuole, and consistent negative staining by Alcian blue ( Image 1 ). 32 …”

“…One potential histologic mimic, hyaline globules (also known as thanatasomes), 32 can be distinguished by the presence of epithelial injury with attendant inflammation, lack of a distinct vacuole, and consistent negative staining by Alcian blue ( Image 1 ). 32 …”

Carcinosarcoma of the Gallbladder with Chondrosarcomatous Differentiation and Intracytoplasmic Eosinophilic Hyaline Globules (Thanatosomes): A Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

“…EHGs were very rarely found in normal epithelium (1.1%), but their number increased significantly in specimens with ischemic injury (47%) and benign regenerative proliferation (70%). They concluded that Thanatosomes represented a relatively constant and useful histologic marker of enhanced cell turnover and ischemic injury [47]. Thanatosomes had been dubbed as “Death Bodies” in a report on 2 cases of malignant phylloides tumor, both of which showed numerous Thanatosomes, to the point of dominating the histological appearance and masking the stromal element [48].…”