cytoplasmic inclusions
In cellular biology, inclusions are diverse intracellularShively, J. M. (ed.). (2006). ''Microbiology Monographs Vol. 1: Inclusions in Prokaryotes''. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlaglink non-living substances (ergastic substances) that are not ...
which can be found in
Leydig cell
Leydig cells, also known as interstitial cells of the testes and interstitial cells of Leydig, are found adjacent to the seminiferous tubules in the testicle and produce testosterone in the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH). They are polyhedral ...
s of the
testes
A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone.
The ...
. Occurring only in adult humans and wild bush rats, their function is unknown.
Ovarian stromal tumors having a predominant pattern of
fibroma
Fibromas are benign tumors that are composed of fibrous or connective tissue. They can grow in all organs, arising from mesenchyme tissue. The term "fibroblastic" or "fibromatous" is used to describe tumors of the fibrous connective tissue. Wh ...
or
thecoma
Thecomas or theca cell tumors are benign Ovarian cancer, ovarian neoplasms composed only of theca cells. Histogenetically they are classified as sex cord-stromal tumours.
They are typically estrogen-producing and they occur in older women (mean a ...
but also containing cells typical of
steroid
A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration.
Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...
hormone-secreting cells were reported. Some of the tumors were classified as
hyperandrogenism
Hyperandrogenism is a medical condition characterized by high levels of androgens. It is more common in women than men. Symptoms of hyperandrogenism may include acne, seborrhea, hair loss on the scalp, increased body or facial hair, and infre ...
which led to
virilization
Virilization or masculinization is the biological development of adult male characteristics in young males or females. Most of the changes of virilization are produced by androgens.
Virilization is a medical term commonly used in three medical a ...
in some cases,
endometrial hyperplasia
Endometrial hyperplasia is a condition of excessive proliferation of the cells of the endometrium, or inner lining of the uterus.
Most cases of endometrial hyperplasia result from high levels of estrogens, combined with insufficient levels of th ...
in other cases, and endometrial hyperplasia with
carcinoma
Carcinoma is a malignancy that develops from epithelial cells. Specifically, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that arises from cells originating in the endodermal, mesoder ...
in the rest of the cases. Luteinized thecomas and stromal Leydig cell tumors are indistinguishable except for the presence of crystalloids of Reinke in the latter. In view of the prolonged search that is necessary to find these structures in some stromal Leydig cell tumors and their well-known absence in the majority of testicular Leydig cell tumors, it is reasonable to assume that an unknown proportion of tumors in the luteinized thecoma category are unrecognized stromal Leydig cell tumors.
Another ovarian tumor where Reinke crystalloids were noted is the Brenner tumour, an epithelial-stromal ovarian tumor distinguishable by nests of transitional
epithelial cell
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of Cell (biology), cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial (Mesothelium, mesothelial) tissues line ...
s (urothelial) with longitudinal nuclear grooves (coffee bean nuclei) in abundant fibrous stroma.
Also recall that the "coffee bean nuclei" are the nuclear grooves exceptionally pathognomonic to the sex cord stromal tumor, the ovarian granulosa cell tumor, with the fluid-filled spaces Call–Exner bodies between the granulosa cells.
They are large enough to be seen in an
optical microscope
The optical microscope, also referred to as a light microscope, is a type of microscope that commonly uses visible light and a system of lenses to generate magnified images of small objects. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of micros ...
and can be visualized using
Giemsa
Giemsa stain (), named after German chemist and bacteriologist Gustav Giemsa, is a nucleic acid stain used in cytogenetics and for the histopathological diagnosis of malaria and other parasites.
Uses
It is specific for the phosphate groups of ...
Gram
The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.
Originally defined in 1795 as "the absolute Mass versus weight, weight of a volume ...
, and PAS stains. Reinke crystals are rare in normal testes, but are found in approximately one third of all Leydig cell tumours.
These crystals are named after the German anatomist Friedrich Berthold Reinke.