Charcot–Leyden crystals are
microscopic
The microscopic scale () is the scale of objects and events smaller than those that can easily be seen by the naked eye, requiring a lens or microscope to see them clearly. In physics, the microscopic scale is sometimes regarded as the scale be ...
crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...
s composed of eosinophil protein
galectin-10 found in people who have
allergic diseases such as
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
or parasitic infections such as
parasitic pneumonia or
ascariasis.
Appearance
Charcot–Leyden crystals are composed of an eosinophilic lysophospholipase binding protein called Galectin -10. They vary in size and may be as large as 50 µm in length.
Charcot–Leyden crystals are slender and pointed at both ends, consisting of a pair of hexagonal pyramids joined at their bases.
Normally colorless, they are
stained purplish-red by
trichrome.
Clinical significance
They are indicative of a disease involving eosinophilic inflammation or proliferation, such as is found in allergic reactions (asthma, bronchitis, allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis) and parasitic infections such as ''
Entamoeba histolytica
''Entamoeba histolytica'' is an anaerobic parasitic amoebozoan, part of the genus ''Entamoeba''. Predominantly infecting humans and other primates causing amoebiasis, ''E. histolytica'' is estimated to infect about 35-50 million people worldwid ...
'', ''
Necator americanus
''Necator americanus'' is a species of hookworm (a type of helminth) commonly known as the New World hookworm. Like other hookworms, it is a member of the phylum Nematoda. It is an obligatory parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine ...
'', and ''
Ancylostoma duodenale
''Ancylostoma'' is a genus of nematodes that includes some species of hookworms.
Species include:
: ''Ancylostoma braziliense'', commonly infects cats, popularly known in Brazil as ''bicho-geográfico''
: ''Ancylostoma caninum'', commonly infec ...
''.
Charcot–Leyden crystals are often seen pathologically in patients with bronchial asthma.
History
Friedrich Albert von Zenker
Friedrich Albert von Zenker (13 March 1825 – 13 June 1898) was a German pathologist and physician, celebrated for his discovery of trichinosis.
He was born in Dresden, and was educated in Leipzig and Heidelberg. While in Leipzig, he worked fo ...
was the first to notice these crystals, doing so in 1851, after which they were described jointly by
Jean-Martin Charcot and
Charles-Philippe Robin in 1853, then in 1872 by
Ernst Viktor von Leyden.
[J. Y. Su: ''A Brief History of Charcot-Leyden Crystal Protein/Galectin-10 Research.'' Molecules, 2018, 23(11), 2931.]
See also
*
Curschmann's Spirals
References
External links
Tulane Lung pathology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charcot-Leyden crystals
Pathology