donovan bodies - HEALTHY
Donovan bodies are rod-shaped, oval organisms that can be seen in the cytoplasm of mononuclear phagocytes or histiocytes in tissue samples from patients with granuloma inguinale. The causative organism of granuloma inguinale is difficult to culture, and diagnosis requires visualization of dark-staining Donovan bodies on tissue crush preparation or biopsy. It is also called donovanosis after ‘Donovan bodies’, which are cellular components that are seen when scrapings from the genital skin lesions are viewed under a microscope.
Context Explanation
Electron microscopy can then be used to identify donovan bodies, which are clusters of dark-staining bacteria seen within large, mononuclear cells. These are microscopic features specific to the bacteria that cause donovanosis. In summary, Donovan bodies are the hallmark intracellular organisms seen within tissue samples in Granuloma Inguinale. Their identification provides definitive evidence of the disease, enabling clinicians to initiate prompt and effective therapy.
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Insight Material
Bacteria appear as straight or curved dumbbell shaped rods with prominent bipolar granules (Donovan bodies), resembling a "safety pin" This classic "safety pin" appearance is more evident in Giemsa stain and not so apparent in alcohol fixed smears Diagnosis of granuloma inguinale is confirmed microscopically by the presence of Donovan bodies (numerous bacilli in the cytoplasm of macrophages shown by Giemsa or Wright stain) in smears of fluid from scrapings from the edge of lesions. These smears contain many plasma cells. Donovan bodies are seen within large, mononuclear (Pund) cells as gram-negative intracytoplasmic cysts filled with deeply staining bodies. They can have a characteristic “safety pin” appearance.