HURTHLE CELLS Meaning and
Definition
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Hurthle cells, also known as Askanazy cells or oxyphil cells, are large cells found in the thyroid gland. They are named after Karl Askanazy, a German pathologist who first described them.
Hurthle cells are a type of epithelial cell that make up the majority of the thyroid's follicular epithelium. They are characterized by their abundant granular, acidophilic cytoplasm and large vesicular nuclei. The cytoplasm contains numerous mitochondria, which give it a granular appearance and a pinkish color when stained with certain dyes.
These cells are typically found in small clusters within the thyroid follicles and are responsible for producing and releasing thyroid hormones, namely thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are essential for regulating the body's metabolism. However, under certain conditions, such as inflammation or infection, Hurthle cells can undergo abnormal changes.
When these cells become enlarged and undergo extensive proliferation, they are known as "oncocytic" or "Hurthle cell" lesions. These lesions can be benign or malignant, with the malignant cases frequently associated with a type of thyroid cancer called Hurthle cell carcinoma.
In summary, Hurthle cells are large epithelial cells found in the thyroid gland that are responsible for thyroid hormone production and secretion. Although usually functioning normally, they can undergo certain changes that can be associated with thyroid disorders and cancers.
Common Misspellings for HURTHLE CELLS
- gurthle cells
- burthle cells
- nurthle cells
- jurthle cells
- uurthle cells
- yurthle cells
- hyrthle cells
- hhrthle cells
- hjrthle cells
- hirthle cells
- h8rthle cells
- h7rthle cells
- huethle cells
- hudthle cells
- hufthle cells
- hutthle cells
- hu5thle cells
- hu4thle cells
- hurrhle cells
- hurfhle cells
Etymology of HURTHLE CELLS
The term "Hurthle cells" is named after Carl von Hürthle, an Austrian pathologist who first described these cells in 1898. He identified a specific type of cell in the thyroid gland which had certain distinct features, such as an abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and a large round nucleus. These cells came to be known as "Hurthle cells" in his honor.
