Schaumann bodies
Encyclopedia
In pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....

, Schaumann bodies are calcium and protein inclusions inside of Langhans giant cells
Langhans giant cell
Langhans giant cells are large cells found in granulomatous conditions.They are formed by the fusion of epithelioid cells , and contain nuclei arranged in a horseshoe-shaped pattern in the cell periphery....

 as part of a granuloma
Granuloma
Granuloma is a medical term for a tiny collection of immune cells known as macrophages. Granulomas form when the immune system attempts to wall off substances that it perceives as foreign but is unable to eliminate. Such substances include infectious organisms such as bacteria and fungi as well as...

.

Many conditions can cause Schaumann bodies, including:
  • Sarcoidosis
    Sarcoidosis
    Sarcoidosis , also called sarcoid, Besnier-Boeck disease or Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease, is a disease in which abnormal collections of chronic inflammatory cells form as nodules in multiple organs. The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown...

    ,
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
    Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
    Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an inflammation of the alveoli within the lung caused by hypersensitivity to inhaled organic dusts. Sufferers are commonly exposed to the dust by their occupation or hobbies.-Pathophysiology:Hypersensitivity pneumonitis involves inhalation of an antigen...

    , and
  • Berylliosis
    Berylliosis
    Berylliosis, or chronic beryllium disease , is a chronic allergic-type lung response and chronic lung disease caused by exposure to beryllium and its compounds. As an occupational lung disease, it is most classically associated with beryllium mining or manufacturing of fluorescent light bulbs...

    .
  • uncommonly, Crohn's disease
    Crohn's disease
    Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...

     and tuberculosis
    Tuberculosis
    Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1552174/pdf/gut00731-0026.pdf.
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