Emperipolesis

[1] It is derived from Greek (en is inside, peripoleomai is go round).

[2] Emperipolesis is an uncommon biological process, and can be physiological or pathological.

[4] Emperipolesis is unlike phagocytosis, in which the engulfed cell is killed by the lysosomal enzymes of the macrophage.

Instead, the engulfed cell remains viable within the other, and can exit at any time without causing structural or functional abnormalities in either cell.

[3] Emperipolesis has been classified into two categories:[3] It is seen in various conditions including:

Micrograph showing emperipolesis in a case of Rosai-Dorfman disease . H&E stain .