Intracytoplasmic

In pathology, the term “intracytoplasmic” refers to substances or structures that are located within the cytoplasm of a cell. The cytoplasm is the gel-like substance inside the cell membrane that surrounds the nucleus and contains various organelles and inclusions.

Types of substances commonly described as intracytoplasmic

Inclusions

• Viral inclusions: These are aggregates of viral particles or components within the cytoplasm, often seen in cells infected with viruses.
• Hyaline inclusions: These are composed of protein aggregates and are commonly seen in various disease conditions, such as alcoholic liver disease.

Pigments

• Melanin: A natural pigment found in melanocytes, responsible for skin, hair, and eye color.
• Hemosiderin: An iron-storage complex often seen in macrophages after bleeding (hemorrhage) as a breakdown product of hemoglobin.
• Lipofuscin: Also known as “wear and tear” pigment, it accumulates over time in cells and is often found in aging cells or those under oxidative stress.

Glycogen

Glycogen is a form of stored glucose commonly found in liver and muscle cells. Excessive accumulation can be seen in glycogen storage diseases.

Lipids

Lipids are fat storage units within cells, commonly seen in adipocytes and liver cells. Abnormal accumulation can indicate metabolic disorders like fatty liver disease.

Crystals

• Charcot-Leyden crystals: Formed from the breakdown of eosinophils, commonly seen in allergic conditions or parasitic infections.
• Refractile crystals: Various types of crystals that can form in cells, sometimes related to metabolic or storage diseases.

Organelles

• Mitochondria: Organelles responsible for energy production, often described in pathological conditions when they are abnormal in number or structure.
• Lysosomes: Organelles involved in digestion and waste removal, significant in storage diseases where they accumulate undigested substrates.

Pathological Deposits

• Amyloid: Abnormal protein deposits that can accumulate within the cytoplasm, characteristic of amyloidosis.
• Basophilic stippling: Small, dark granules seen within red blood cells, often associated with lead poisoning or other hematologic disorders.

Learn more pathology

Atlas of Pathology