Aschoff body

He discovered nodules in the myocardium present during rheumatic fever, the so-called Aschoff bodies.

In medicine, Aschoff bodies are nodules found in the hearts of individuals with rheumatic fever.

Anitschkow cells are enlarged macrophages found within granulomas (called Aschoff bodies) associated with the disease.

It is at this stage of Aschoff bodies, which is pathognomonic of rheumatic fever.

Characteristic Aschoff bodies, composed of swollen eosinophilic collagen surrounded by lymphocytes and macrophages can be seen on light microscopy.

Microscopically, Aschoff bodies are areas of inflammation of the connective tissue of the heart, or focal interstitial inflammation.

Fully developed Aschoff bodies are granulomatous structures consisting of fibrinoid change, lymphocytic infiltration, occasional plasma cells, and characteristically abnormal macrophages surrounding necrotic centres.

The Aschoff bodies were discovered independently by the German pathologist Ludwig Aschoff 1904 and one year later by Paul Rudolf Geipel.

ARF is an acute inflammatory reaction with pathognomonic Aschoff bodies histologically and RHD is a non-inflammatory sequelae of ARF.