What are the Histological Features of Lysosomal Storage Disorders?
Histological examination of tissues from patients with LSDs reveals several characteristic features. These may include:
- Enlarged cells: Cells may appear swollen due to the accumulation of undigested substrates. - Inclusions: The presence of various types of inclusions within cells, such as zebra bodies in Fabry disease. - Foamy cytoplasm: In some LSDs, like Niemann-Pick disease, the cytoplasm may appear foamy due to lipid accumulation. - Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining: This special stain can highlight glycogen or other polysaccharides that accumulate in certain LSDs, such as Pompe disease.
