Ghost cell explained

A ghost cell is an enlarged eosinophilic epithelial cell with eosinophilic cytoplasm but without a nucleus. It has lost its nucleus and cytoplasmic contents, leaving behind only the cell membrane and sometimes remnants of the cell's structure. In pathology, ghost cells are often associated with certain types of tumors, such as pilomatricomas and calcifying odontogenic cysts, where they appear as pale, anucleate cells that have undergone degeneration or calcification.

The ghost cells indicate coagulative necrosis where there is cell death but retainment of cellular architecture. In histologic sections ghost cells are those which appear as shadow cells. They are dead cells. For example, in peripheral blood smear preparations, the RBCs are lysed and appear as ghost cells.

They are found in:

• Craniopharyngioma (Rathke pouch)^[1]
• Odontoma^[2]
• Ameloblastic fibroma^[3]
• Calcifying odontogenic cyst (Gorlin cyst)^[4]
• Pilomatricoma^[5]

Notes and References

1. 10.1097/PAS.0b013e31802d8a96 . The Spectrum of Malignancy in Craniopharyngioma . 2007 . Rodriguez . Fausto J. . Scheithauer . Bernd W. . Tsunoda . Shigeru . Kovacs . Kalman . Vidal . Sergio . Piepgras . David G. . The American Journal of Surgical Pathology . 31 . 7 . 1020–8 . 17592268.
2. 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1975.tb01737.x . Ghost cell epithelium in odontomas . 1975 . Sedano . Heddie O. . Pindborg . Jens J. . Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine . 4 . 807691 . 27–30 . 1.
3. 10.1016/j.tripleo.2004.01.003 . Hybrid odontogenic tumor of calcifying odontogenic cyst and ameloblastic fibroma . 2004 . Yoon . Jung Hoon . Jun Kim . Hyung . In Yook . Jong . Cha . In Ho . Ellis . Gary L . Kim . Jin . Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology . 98 . 15243475 . 80–4 . 1.
4. 10.1186/2047-783X-16-11-501 . Notch signaling and ghost cell fate in the calcifying cystig odontogenic tumor . 2011 . Siar . CH . Kawakami . T . Buery . RR . Nakano . K . Tomida . M . Tsujigiwa . H . Han . PP . Nagatsuka . H . Ng . HK . European Journal of Medical Research . 16 . 11 . 501–6 . 22027644 . 3351808 . free .
5. 20948103 . 1996 . Barbhuiya . JN . Datta . PK . Basak . P . Banerjee . PP . Pilomatrixoma . 62 . 5 . 318–9 . Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology .