Anatomic Pathology: Hematopathology

994) What cells are depicted in the photomicrograph?

• The photomicrograph shows a cluster of medium-sized to large “plasmacytoid” cells with small oval nuclei, vesicular chromatin, indistinct nucleoli, abundant cytoplasm, and prominent central cytoplasmic hoffs (pale Golgi zones) present away or opposite from the nucleus characteristic of osteoblasts.

• Metastatic small blue cell tumors are small to medium-sized cells with round nuclei and scant cytoplasm (A).

• Metastatic carcinoma cells will be clustered, but should be large, pleomorphic cells with high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and hyperchromatic, irregular nuclei with or without prominent nucleoli (D).

• Endothelial cells usually appear as spindle-shaped cells with small nuclei either singly or in elongated clusters (E).

• Plasma cells can mimic osteoblasts with their eccentric nuclei, abundant blue cytoplasm and prominent perinuclear hoffs; however, plasma cell nuclei should show the characteristic chromatin pattern (i.e., clock-face nucleus) and have perinuclear rather than central cytoplasmic hoff (B).

Bain BJ, Clark DM, and Wilkins BS: Bone Marrow Pathology, 4th ed.West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

 
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