Russel Bodies

RUSSEL BODIES (Russel), round, hyaline inclusions of varying sizes, often found during inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, urinary bladder, and others; named after their first describer. Russel bodies partly lie freely in the interstitial tissue and partly fill the cytoplasm of cells, pushing their nuclei to the periphery, so that the cells resemble sacks containing balls. Russel bodies are mainly found among granulations rich in plasma cells, and their gradual development in the cytoplasm of these cells can be traced, presumably from preformed granules (mitochondria). Some (Saltykov) believe that Russel bodies originate from hyalinized red blood cells and from the granules of eosinophilic leukocytes. Because Russel bodies are stained by acidic dyes, including acid fuchsin, they are also called "fuchsinophilic bodies". Russel bodies are also intensely stained by Gram's method; this led to the belief that they were parasites. The bodies are insoluble in water, alcohol, and acids. Besides non-specific chronic inflammatory processes, Russel bodies are found in rhinoscleroma and actinomycosis, as well as in granulation tissue around neoplasms, mainly epithelial. Podyvysotsky describes, along with spherical hyaline bodies, crystals in granulations. Freyfeld describes a similar crystallization of hyaline Russel bodies in granulations around carcinomatous proliferations.