A zellballen is a small nest of

chromaffin cells Chromaffin cells, also called pheochromocytes (or phaeochromocytes), are neuroendocrine cells found mostly in the medulla of the adrenal glands in mammals. These cells serve a variety of functions such as serving as a response to stress, monitori ...

chief cells In human anatomy, there are three types of chief cells, the gastric chief cell, the parathyroid chief cell, and the type 1 chief cells found in the carotid body. Cell types The gastric chief cell (also known as a zymogenic cell or peptic cell) is a ...

with pale

eosinophilic Eosinophilic (Greek suffix -phil-, meaning ''loves eosin'') is the staining of tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye. Eosin is an acidic dye for staining cell cytoplasm, collagen, and muscle fibers. ''Eosi ...

staining. Zellballen are separated into groups by segmenting bands of fibrovascular stroma, and are surrounded by supporting sustentacular cells. A zellballen pattern is diagnostic for

paraganglioma A paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that may develop at various body sites (including the head, neck, thorax and abdomen). When the same type of tumor is found in the adrenal gland, they are referred to as a pheochromocytoma. They ar ...

pheochromocytoma Pheochromocytoma (PHEO or PCC) is a rare tumor of the adrenal medulla composed of chromaffin cells, also known as pheochromocytes. When a tumor composed of the same cells as a pheochromocytoma develops outside the adrenal gland, it is referred t ...

. ''Zellballen'' is German for "ball of cells".

References

Cell biology Human cells Neuroendocrine cells Adrenal gland {{molecular-cell-biology-stub