A Warthin–Finkeldey cell is a type of giant multinucleate cell found in hyperplastic
lymph node
A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that includ ...
s early in the course of
measles
Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...
and also in
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
-infected individuals,
as well as in
Kimura disease,
[
] and more rarely in a number of neoplastic (e.g.
lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...
) and non-neoplastic lymph node disorders.
Their origin is uncertain, but they have previously been shown to stain with markers similar to those of
follicular dendritic cell
Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are cells of the immune system found in primary and secondary lymph follicles (lymph nodes) of the B cell areas of the lymphoid tissue. Unlike dendritic cells (DC), FDCs are not derived from the bone-marrow hem ...
s, including CD21.
Under the light microscope, these cells consist of a large, grape-like cluster of nuclei.
References
Lymphatic organ diseases
Histopathology
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