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General and Systemic Histopathology, C601&C602
     
    Slide 1: Cryptococcal Pneumonia
     
     
    This is a picture of the tissue as it appears on your slide.  See if you can orient it as it appears here and then locate the alveolar lung tissue with central area of inflammatory infiltrate.  You might even be able to spot some of the giant cells without any magnification.  When you put the slide on the stage of your scope, start with the lowest power first, review the entire slide and then go progressively to the higher levels of magnification.

    See this slide with the virtual microscope.

    In this medium power magnification, one can observe the quality and major constituents of the inflammatory infiltrate. You will see it consists almost exclusively of lymphocytes, plasma cells and monocytes. It is often referred to as a "mononuclear infiltrate" because the cells that comprising it do not have lobated nuclei. This slide depicts a process in which a special variety of inflammatory cell is called into existence, the "giant cell." Because of the presence of the giant cells, this pattern is also referred to as "granulomatous infiltrate."  Well developed granulomas are not seen in this case. You can, however, see the giant cells containing organisms. 


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