Liver biopsy from a patient with acute viral hepatitis shows scattered rounded, intensely eosinophilic hepatocytes with condensed nuclei and no surrounding inflammatory reaction. These anucleate acidophilic bodies represent:
- A Apoptosis of hepatocytes, also called Councilman bodies ✓
- B Coagulative necrosis of individual hepatocytes
- C Focal liquefactive necrosis caused by cytotoxic T cells
- D Ballooning degeneration preceding hepatocyte lysis
Correct answer: A. Apoptosis of hepatocytes, also called Councilman bodies
Explanation
Councilman bodies are apoptotic hepatocytes seen in viral hepatitis, yellow fever, and other conditions. They show the classic apoptosis morphology: cell shrinkage, intense eosinophilia of cytoplasm, nuclear condensation, and rapid phagocytosis without inflammation. Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture and provokes an inflammatory infiltrate, while ballooning degeneration produces swollen pale cells rather than shrunken eosinophilic ones. This is a classic exam image description.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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