Home > Stomach > Russell body gastritis

Stomach

Gastritis

Russell body gastritis

Authors: Yuxin Lu, M.D., Natalya Shlyakhova, M.D.

Last author update: 1 March 2017

Last staff update: 14 June 2021

Copyright: 2017-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed search: Russell body gastritis

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Lu Y, Shlyakhova N. Russell body gastritis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stomachrussellbody.html. Accessed December 23rd, 2024.

Definition / general

Russell body gastritis, first described in 1998, is a reactive gastric mucosal infiltration of plasma cells filled with cytoplasmic Russell bodies (Am J Hematol 2010;85:951)
Recently recognized pseudotumoral lesion of the gastric mucosa with unknown etiology; characterized by the accumulation of numerous plasma cells containing Russell bodies (RBs) with the expression of kappa and lambda light chains (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)
Often associated with H. pylori infection and malignancies such as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, plasmacytoma, signet ring cell carcinoma (Pathol Res Pract 2007;203:457, Virchows Arch 2005;446:463)

Essential features

Russell bodies, first described by Russell in 1890, are considered to represent aggregates of immunoglobulins resulting from secretory disturbance of plasma cells
Plasma cells with Russell bodies can be seen in a variety of mucosal surfaces, including gastrointestinal tract in association with chronic inflammation such as H. pylori gastritis.

ICD coding

2017 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K29.70 - Gastritis, unspecified, without bleeding

Epidemiology

Only 39 cases involving the gastrointestinal tract have been reported in English literature, which include Russell body gastritis, duodenitis and esophagitis (Int J Surg Pathol 2015;23:667)

Sites

Stomach, duodenum, esophagus (Int J Surg Pathol 2015;23:667)

Pathophysiology

Russell bodies represent a cellular response to overstimulation of plasma cells, leading to the accumulation of abundant, nondegradable, condensed immunoglobulin in dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae (Int J Surg Pathol 2015;23:667)
Considering the other cases reported in the literature, it seems as if H. pylori plays an active role in the etiology of the condition, either by promoting it or by modulating the extension of the disease locally (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)

Etiology

Unknown (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)

Clinical features

Asymptomatic or symptoms related to H. pylori or associated malignancy

Diagnosis

Histology showing diffuse infiltration with plasma cell filled with Russell bodies
Exclusion of other associated conditions

Radiology description

Computed tomography scan may show esophageal and gastric wall thickening (Conn Med 2012;76:261)

Prognostic factors

Although RBG is by itself a benign condition, its long term effect, such as its possible increased risk for the development of neoplasia, is unknown (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)

Case reports

44 year old woman with history of diabetes mellitus, post kidney and pancreas transplant (Int J Surg Pathol 2015;23:667)
53 year old man with localized accumulation of plasma cells containing Russell bodies (Pathol Int 1998;48:242)
60 year old woman with history of epigastric pain (Pathol Res Pract 2007;203:457)
82 year old man with Russell body gastritis associated with HIV infection (Conn Med 2012;76:261)
Ten cases involving Russell bodies and plasma cell infiltration, seven of which are associated with H. pylori infection (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)
Russell body esophago-gastro-duodenitis (Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2014;38:e89)

Treatment

Treatment of H. pylori usually results in the resolution of Russel bodies in cases associated with H. pylori

Gross description

Endoscopy reveals nonspecific congestion of the mucosa (Pathol Res Pract 2007;203:457) or multiple ulcer scars in the antrum of the stomach (Pathol Int 1998;48:242)
Can present with erythema in the gastric body and a large, irregular, fungating, ulcerated, nearly circumferential mass at the incisura angularis of the stomach (J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2012;21:97)
Gastritis on endoscopy (Conn Med 2012;76:261)

Gross images

Images hosted on other servers:

Large, irregular and deep
ulcerated mass lesion
with central ulceration
at the incisura angularis

Microscopic (histologic) description

Plasma cell infiltrates with extensive formation of Russell bodies (Mott cells) within the lamina propria of the antral mucosa
Intracytoplasmic inclusions, homogeneous, mainly round to oval, which push the nucleus toward the periphery

Microscopic (histologic) images

Case #410