Psammoma bodies
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Yap J, Yu Y, et al. Psammoma bodies. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-1928
rID:
1928
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Joshua Yap had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Joshua Yap's current disclosures
Revisions:
7 times, by
6 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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Synonyms:
- Psammoma body
Psammoma bodies are round microscopic calcific collections. It is a form of dystrophic calcification. Necrotic cells form the focus for surrounding calcific deposition. They have a lamellated concentric calcified structure, sometimes large enough to be seen on CT.
Psammoma bodies are found in a diverse group of tumours which include:
melanotic schwannoma (psammomatous variety) 3
History and etymology
The term is derived from the Ancient Greek psámmos meaning "sand" and ōma meaning "tumour", hence "sand tumour" 4.
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Nakayama H, Okumichi T, Nakashima S et-al. Papillary adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon associated with psammoma bodies and hyaline globules: report of a case. Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. 1997;27 (3): 193-6. doi:10.1093/jjco/27.3.193 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Van mieghem IM, Gryspeerdt S, Baekelandt M et-al. Papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the endometrium: CT-pathologic correlation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004;182 (6): 1534-6. AJR Am J Roentgenol (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 3. Shields LB, Glassman SD, Raque GH, Shields CB. Malignant psammomatous melanotic schwannoma of the spine: A component of Carney complex. Surgical neurology international. 2: 136. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.85609 - Pubmed
- 4. Sun T, Pitman M, Torous V. Determining the Significance of Psammoma Bodies in Pelvic Washings: A 10‐year Retrospective Review. Cancer Cytopathol. 2020;129(1):83-9. doi:10.1002/cncy.22346 - Pubmed
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- Papillary thyroid cancer
- Fibrous meningioma
- Psammomatous meningioma
- Renal papillary adenoma
- Primary pulmonary meningioma
- Malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumour
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- Burnt out meningioma
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Related articles: Histology
- cells (general)
- general cellular structure
- cell membrane
- nucleus
- nucleolus
- chromatin
- cytoplasm
- organelles
- cytoskeleton
- endoplasmic reticulum
- smooth
- rough
- Golgi complex
- lysosomes
- mitochondria
- peroxisomes
- ribosomes
- body systems
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blood
- platelets
- red blood cells
- white blood cells
- granular
- non-granular
- central nervous system
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blood
- general cellular structure
- immunohistochemistry
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histological stains
- alcian blue stain
- azan stain
- Giemsa stain
- Gram stain
- haematoxylin and eosin stain (H&E)
- immunoperoxidase staining
- Luxol fast blue stain
- Masson's trichrome stain
- methylene blue
- Nissl stain
- oil red O stain
- osmium stain
- Papanicolaou stain
- periodic acid-Schiff reaction (PAS)
- Prussian blue stain
- reticulin stain
- silver stain
- Sudan stains
- toluidine blue stain
- van Gieson stain
- Ziehl-Neelsen stain
- specific features and structures
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