Psammoma body explained

A psammoma body is a round collection of calcium, seen microscopically. The term is derived from the Greek word άμμος (ámmos), meaning "sand".

Cause

Psammoma bodies are associated with the papillary (nipple-like) histomorphology and are thought to arise from,

1. Infarction and calcification of papillae tips.
2. Calcification of intralymphatic tumor thrombi.^[1]

Association with lesions

Psammoma bodies are commonly seen in certain tumors such as:

• Papillary thyroid carcinoma^[2]
• Papillary renal cell carcinoma^[3]
• Ovarian papillary serous cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma^[4]
• Endometrial adenocarcinomas (papillary serous carcinoma ~3%-4%)
• Meningiomas, in the central nervous system^[5]
• Peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma
• Somatostatinoma (pancreas)^[6]
• Prolactinoma of the pituitary ^[7]
• Glucagonoma^[8]
• Micropapillary subtype of lung adenocarcinoma^[9]

Benign lesions

Psammoma bodies may be seen in:

• Endosalpingiosis^[10]
• Psammomatous melanotic schwannoma
• Melanocytic nevus^[11]

Appearance

Psammoma bodies usually have a laminar appearance, are circular, acellular and basophilic.

External links

Slides:

• Meningioma
• Thyroid cancer
• Endometriosis (peritoneum)
• Video of psammoma bodies in meningioma

Notes and References

1. Johannessen JV, Sobrinho-Simões M . The origin and significance of thyroid psammoma bodies . Lab. Invest. . 43 . 3 . 287–96 . September 1980 . 7401638 .
2. Chapter 20 in: Book: Mitchell, Richard Sheppard . Kumar, Vinay . Abbas, Abul K . Fausto, Nelson . Robbins Basic Pathology. Saunders . Philadelphia . 2007. 978-1-4160-2973-1 . 8th edition.
3. Web site: Renal Cell Carcinoma. The Lecturio Medical Concept Library . 1 October 2021.
4. http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/FEMHTML/FEM072.html Ovarian papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma
5. Web site: Brain Stem & Posterior Fossa. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20000301035114/http://spinwarp.ucsd.edu/NeuroWeb/Text/br-300b.htm . 2000-03-01 .
6. 10.1148/rg.306105523 . 30 . Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors: Radiologic-Clinicopathologic Correlation . RadioGraphics . 1445–1464 . 2010 . Lewis RB. 6 . 21071369 .
7. Robbin's Pathology, Eight Ed
8. Web site: Glucagonoma. The Lecturio Medical Concept Library . 1 October 2021.
9. 31352072 . 10.1016/j.jtho.2019.07.008 . 14 . Expansion of the Concept of Micropapillary Adenocarcinoma to Include a Newly Recognized Filigree Pattern as Well as the Classical Pattern Based on 1468 Stage I Lung Adenocarcinomas . 2019 . Emoto K, Eguchi T, Tan KS, Takahashi Y, Aly RG, Rekhtman N, Travis WD, Adusumilli PS . J Thorac Oncol . 11 . 1948–1961. 8785415 . free .
10. Hallman KB, Nahhas WA, Connelly PJ . Endosalpingiosis as a source of psammoma bodies in a Papanicolaou smear. A case report . J Reprod Med . 36 . 9 . 675–8 . September 1991 . 1774734 .
11. Rapini, Ronald. Practical Dermatopathology. Elsevier Mosby, 2005, p. 10.