Biology:Ghost cell

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.

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

The ghost cells indicate coagulative necrosis where there is cell death but retainment of cellular architecture. In histologic sections ghost cells are those which appear as shadow cells. They are dead cells. For example, in peripheral blood smear preparations, the RBCs are lysed and appear as ghost cells.

They are found in:

• Craniopharyngioma (Rathke pouch)
• Odontoma
• Ameloblastic fibroma
• Calcifying odontogenic cyst (Gorlin cyst)
• Pilomatricoma