Ghost cell

A ghost cell is an enlarged eosinophilic epithelial cell with eosinophilic cytoplasm but without a nucleus.

It has lost its nucleus and cytoplasmic contents, leaving behind only the cell membrane and sometimes remnants of the cell's structure.

In pathology, ghost cells are often associated with certain types of tumors, such as pilomatricomas and calcifying odontogenic cysts, where they appear as pale, anucleate cells that have undergone degeneration or calcification.

For example, in peripheral blood smear preparations, the RBCs are lysed and appear as ghost cells.

This article related to pathology is a stub.

Endometrial adenocarcinoma with necrotic ghost cells of keratinocytes at right in image, leaving pink keratin and clear spaces at the prior locations of the nuclei.