Light and electron microscopy on plasma cells and Russell bodies in the iris of a chronic uveitis patient

¹ University Eye Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland, and the Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, N. Y.

University Eye Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland, and the Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, N. Y.

Slit-lamp examination of a 56-year-old woman showed many shiny spots in the iris of her right eye which had chronic uveitis and complicated cataract. A piece of iris was obtained by iridectomy at the cataract operation and was prepared for electron microscopy and studied with both light and electron microscopes. In the light microscopy of thick (2µ) sections stained with Giemsa, numerous plasma cells and dense-blue bodies were found in the iris stroma. The bodies, which were identified as the clinical shiny spots, were also intensely stained with fuchsin, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), fibrin and Gram stains, indicating that they were Russell bodies. Electron microscopy revealed that the majority of the plasma cells were of mature type,with two forms of rough-swfaced endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and with cytoplasmic processes and islands. The fattened cisternae of RER were frequently arranged radially around the Golgi complex, which occasionally reached the cell surface. Single and multiple Russell bodies were contained in the plasma cells. They were various in size and shape, some being as large as 30 µ in diameter, and alioays embedded within the RER. The surrounding cytoplasm toas usually intact,with occasional exceptions. "Lipidlike inclusions" and "dense inclusions" were also seen in the cytoplasm. Plasma cells often surrounded blood vessels. Although few in number, another type of cell which appeared to be akin to plasma cells was also found in the iris stroma. The ultrastructure of the above-mentioned cells and bodies is described, and discussed in relation to their possible functions and cell origin. It is suggested that the Russell bodies may be produced by a mechanism similar to the block which is assumed to be the cause of "iniracisternal granules" in pancreatic exocrine cells.

Key Words: iris • Russell bodies • uveitis • electron microscopy • light microscopy • histopathology • ultrastructure

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