Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Bell D, Thurston M, et al. Charcot-Leyden crystals. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 19 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-8873
Charcot-Leyden crystals consist of collections of bipyramidal crystalloid made up of eosinophilic membrane proteins, which occur in:
They may be detected in the sputum or sinus secretions with these conditions.
History and etymology
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) was trained as a pathologist, but he was also a skilled practising physician, and for many the father of neurology - who also made important contributions to psychiatry. He also has the distinction of probably having more medical eponyms named for him than any other individual in history 4,5.
The German physician Ernst Viktor von Leyden also described these crystals in 1872 6.
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4. Tan SY, Shigaki D. Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893): pathologist who shaped modern neurology. (2007) Singapore medical journal. 48 (5): 383-4. Pubmed
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5. Kumar DR, Aslinia F, Yale SH, Mazza JJ. Jean-Martin Charcot: the father of neurology. (2011) Clinical medicine & research. 9 (1): 46-9. doi:10.3121/cmr.2009.883 - Pubmed
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6. Su J. A Brief History of Charcot-Leyden Crystal Protein/Galectin-10 Research. (2018) Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules23112931 - Pubmed
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