INTRACELLULAR ACCUMULATION               

• Abnormal intracellular accumulations takes place in 3 ways-

1. Accumulation of normal constituents of cell metabolism in excess (lipid etc)
2. Accumulation of abnormal substances
3. Accumulation of pigments 

1. Fatty change (Steatosis)

• Abnormal accumulation of triglycerides within parenchymal cells is fatty change (steatosis).
• Seen in liver (most common), heart, skeletal muscle, and kidney.
• Alcohol abuse and diabetes associated with obesity are the most common causes of fatty change in the liver.
• Cholesterol deposits- fibro fatty plaques of artherosclerosis.

2. Protein-

• Disorder associated with misfolded/ unfolded proteins are alzeheimer’s disease, Huntington disease and parkinson’s disease.

3. Water

• Intracellular water accumulations are known as cloudy swelling.

 

4. Pigments-

• Two types- endogenous & exogenous

1. Exogenous-

• Most common exogenous pigment is carbon.

2. Endogenous-

a) Lipofuschin-

• Also known as wear and tear pigment/ aging pigment.
• It is perinuclear brown pigment.
• Seen in aging, severe malnutrition and cancer cachexia.

b) Melanin-

• Detected by Fontana masson staining.
• Synthesized by melanocytes.

c) Hemosiderin-

• It is haemoglobin derieved pigment.
• Detected by Perl’s Prussian blue staining.
• Color of hemosiderin is brown.