CELL ACCUMULATION

Substances that may be

accumulated:
normal cell constituents-which

accumulate in an excess (lipids,

proteins, carbohydrates)
abnormal substances, as a
product of abnormal metabolism
pigments

Description of Accumulation
These substances can accumulate
transiently or permanently,
they may be harmless to the cells or
toxic
can be located-in nuclei or in
cytoplasm
Intracellular accumulations:
a. reversible
b.irreversible

The Pathway/ Process

1. abnormal metabolism of normal
endogenous substance

The Process
2. A normal or an abnormal
endogenous substance
accumulates because of genetic
or acquired defects in its folding,
packaging, transport, or
secretion.

3. An inherited defect in an
enzyme may result in failure to
degrade a metabolite.
The resulting disorders are called
storage diseases.

The Process
4. deposition of abnormal
exogenous substance

TYPES OF INTRACELLULAR
ACCUMULATIONS
1. CHOLESTEROL DEPOSITS
- seen in atherosclerosis
- presence of xanthoma, foamy
macrophages and stromal infiltration
of fat

2. ACCUMULATION OF PROTEINS
Ex: -in proteinuria -protein-loss in the
urine - occurs in epithelial cells of
proximal tubules

3. ACCUMULATION OF GLYCOGEN
-excessive intracellular accumulation of
glycogen -in patients with glucose or
glycogen metabolism disorders
a. Diabetes mellitus- Glycogen is found in
epithelial cells of distal portions of proximal
tubules and Henle loops
b. GLYCOGENOSES
Caused by glycogen storage diseasescharacterized by excessive accumulation of
glycogen either normal or abnormal

 4. ACCUMULATION OF PIGMENTS
exogenous - the most common are
carbon particles or coal dust
anthracosis- accumulation of
carbon particles in the lungs
* tatooing

 endogenous- include -lipofuchsin,

melanin, hemoglobin-derived
pigments, such as hemosiderin,
bilirubin, etc.

ENDOGENOUS PIGMENTS
1. LIPOFUCHSCIN - fine
intracytoplasmic granules, yellowbrown
-. often associated with atrophybrown atrophy

2. MELANIN
- non-hemoglobin-derived pigment,
brown-black in color, produced in
melanocytes
- -in inflammatory skin lesionsMELANIN give rise to postinflammatory pigmentation of the
skin

3. HEMOSIDERIN
- is a golden-yellow to brown granular
pigment found in lysosomes within
the cell cytoplasm
- hemoglobin-derived pigment- it is
composed of aggregates of partially
degraded ferritin
- - deposition of hemosiderin in tissue
macrophages is termed
hemosiderosis

 1) Localized hemosiderosis

-is common and results from gross

hemorrhages, ruptures of small
vessels or from severe vascular
congestion, etc.

-hemoglobin is broken down and

its iron is deposited locally as
hemosiderin

 2) Generalized hemosiderosis

-is less common, occurs in those

conditions when there is an excess
iron in the body
-occurs following multiple tranfusions

 Hemochromatosis
-is uncommon inherited or idiopathic
disease - - deposits of hemosiderin
throughout the body
The mostly affected organs are the
liver (cirrhosis), pancreas (diabetes
mellitus), and the skin (brown colour)

4. BILIRUBIN
- -bilirubin is a bile pigment that
represents an end product of
hemoglobin molecule destruction, it
does not contain iron
jaundice- common clinical disorder
due to excess of bilirubin within cells
and tissues

 Clinical effects of deposition of

bilirubin
1) deposition in connective tissue
(skin, scleras, internal organs) result
in yellow color typical of jaundice
2) deposition in parenchymal cells
most important -in basal ganglia (so
called KERNICTERUS)

SLIDE PATHOLOGY:
INFILTRATION

1. ADIPOSIS OF HEART

HEART

ADIPOSIS

2. GLYCOGENOSIS OF
KIDNEY

3. ANTHRACOSIS OF LUNG

4.HEMOSIDEROSIS OF LIVER

5. MALARIAL MELANEMIA OF
SPLEEN

SLIDE PATHOLOGY:
HYPERTROPHY/
HYPERPLASIA

1. HYPERPLASIA OF LEYDIG
CELLS

2. HYPERTROPHY OF PROSTATE
GLAND