| • Collections of lipid
laden histiocytes are seen in the lamina
propria
• Lipid is colorless in an H&E preparation causing the cytoplasm of the histiocytes to appear clear |
| Cholesterolosis |
| Etiology |
•Unknown |
| Pathogenesis |
•Unknown |
| Epidemiology |
•Incidental finding |
| Clinical |
•The condition has no clinical significance and is not
associated with any symptoms.
•There is no evidence that cholesterolosis predisposes to cholelithiasis or cholecystitis. |
| General Gross Description |
•Characterized by abnormal deposition of mixtures of
cholesterol and triglyceride in macrophages in the
lamina propria of the gallbladder.
•The accumulating macrophages cause a distinctive bulge
and lift the superficial epithelium overlying them.
•The condition can either be localized or extensive and
diffuse.
•The latter is referred to as a "strawberry gallbladder".
•In a strawberry gallbladder, the mucosa tends to be red, and is flecked with numerous yellowish spots. |
| General Micro Description |
•Histologically, the lesion is characterized by numerous foamy macrophages lying just beneath the columnar epithelium of the gallbladder. |
| Reference |
• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994.
|