Pigmented macrophages of the lung
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Author:
Mikael Häggström [note 1]
When seeing pigmented macrophages of the lung, categorize as follows:
Disease | Macrophage name | Macrophage pigment appearance (HE stain) | Usual macrophage location | Associated medical history | Image | Other notes. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthracosis | Black-brown granules | Interstitium (perivascular) | ![]() |
In image, black arrow shows interstitial anthracotic pigment. Nearby macrophages (white arrow) can be presumed to contain anthracotic pigment. Reporting is optional in mild cases in the elderly. | ||
Respiratory bronchiolitis | Smoker's macrophages | Yellow to light brown and finely granular[3] | Airways (especially respiratory bronchioles) | Tobacco smoking | ![]() |
Smoker's macrophage in center of image. Smoker's macrophages in alveoli is unspecific and does not confer a diagnosis of respiratory bronchiolitis. |
Chronic pulmonary congestion | Siderophages | Brown-golden and refractile.[4] | Alveoli[5] |
|
![]() |
Image shows a siderophage (black arrow), and interstitium with edema, hemosiderin deposition (black arrow) and collagenous thickening, indicating heart failure. |

Histopathology of smoker's macrophages with anthracotic stippling, indicating the presence of both respiratory bronchiolitis and anthracosis.
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Notes
- ↑ For a full list of contributors, see article history. Creators of images are attributed at the image description pages, seen by clicking on the images. See Patholines:Authorship for details.
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References
- ↑ Cotran; Kumar, Collins (1999). Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease . Philadelphia: W.B Saunders Company. ISBN 978-0-7216-7335-6.
- ↑ Morgan WK (November 1978). "Industrial bronchitis ". Br J Ind Med 35 (4): 285–91. PMID 367424.
- ↑ William Perry, M.D., M.P.H., Kristine Konopka, M.D.. Lung - Other interstitial pneumonitis / fibrosis - Respiratory bronchiolitis. Topic Completed: 1 July 2020. Minor changes: 1 July 2020.
- ↑ Zander, Dani (2018). Pulmonary pathology . Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-323-39308-9. OCLC 968711140. - VII Acute Lung Injury with Siderophages
- ↑ Guido Majno; Isabelle Joris (12 August 2004). Cells, Tissues, and Disease : Principles of General Pathology . Oxford University Press. p. 620. ISBN 978-0-19-974892-1. Retrieved on 19 March 2013.
Image sources