Anitschkow cell

{{short description|Cells associated with rheumatic heart disease}}

Image:Anitschkow Myocytes in an Aschoff Body, Rheumatic Myocarditis.jpg demonstrating Anitschkow cells in rheumatic heart disease.]]

In pathology, Anitschkow (or Anichkov{{eMedicine|med|3435|Rheumatic fever}}) cells are often cells associated with rheumatic heart disease.{{cite book |author =Cotran, Ramzi S. |author2 =Kumar, Vinay |author3 =Fausto, Nelson |author4 =Robbins, Stanley L. |author5 =Abbas, Abul K. |title=Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease |publisher=Elsevier Saunders |location=St. Louis, MO |year=2005 |isbn=0-7216-0187-1 }} Anitschkow cells are enlarged macrophages found within granulomas (called Aschoff bodies) associated with the disease.

The cells are also called caterpillar cells, as they have an ovoid nucleus and chromatin that is condensed toward the center of the nucleus in a wavy rod-like pattern that to some resembles a caterpillar. Larger Anitschkow cells may coalesce to form multinucleated Aschoff giant cells. Anitschkow cells were named after the Russian pathologist Nikolay Anichkov.{{cite journal | last1=Konstantinov | first1=Igor E. | last2=Mejevoi | first2=Nicolai | last3=Anichkov | first3=Nikolai M. | title=Nikolai N. Anichkov and His Theory of Atherosclerosis | journal=Texas Heart Institute Journal | publisher=Texas Heart Institute | volume=33 | issue=4 | date=2006 | pages=417–423 | pmid=17215962 | pmc=1764970 }}

Squamous epithelial cells with nuclear changes resembling Anitschkow cells have also been observed in recurrent aphthous stomatitis, iron deficiency anemia, children receiving chemotherapy, as well as in healthy individuals.{{cite book |author =Hine, Maynard K. |author2 =Shafer, William G. |title=A textbook of oral pathology |publisher=W.B.Saunders |location=Philadelphia |year=1974 |isbn=0-7216-2918-0 }}{{cite journal |vauthors =Wood TA, De Witt SH, Chu EW, Rabson AS, Graykowski EA |title=Anitschkow nuclear changes observed in oral smears |journal=Acta Cytologica |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=434–7 |year=1975 |pmid=1058615 }}