Charcot Leyden crystal : Introduction, Detection and Its Clinical Significance

 Introduction of Charcot Leyden crystal

Charcot Leyden crystal is from surnames of describers Jean-Martin Charcot and Ernst Viktor von Leyden. It composes of an eosinophilic lysophospholipase binding protein called Galectin -10. It is a microscopic crystal and observable under microscope in specimens like stool, sputum and pleural fluid of people who are in allergic and parasitic diseases.

Charcot–Leyden crystal  appearance

It varies in size and may be up to 50 µm. It is slender and pointed at both ends as shown above picture.

Detection of Charcot Leyden crystal

It may appear in specimens like urine, sputum, stool and even some body fluid of patient having parasitic infection.

Clinical significance of Introduction of Charcot Leyden crystal

Charcot Leyden crystal  is  indicative of a disease involving eosinophilic inflammation or proliferation. Allergic reactions like asthma, bronchitis, allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis and  also parasitic infections such as amoebiasis  and hookworm infections.It is  often seen pathologically in patients with bronchial asthma.

Notes: Pus cells, RBCs, and C L crystals in the pleural fluid under the microscope

Charcoat Leyden (CL) crystal in Stool Microscopy-

Further Readings

1. Merkell and voge’s medical parasitology
   9th edition.
2. Parasitology: 12th edition
   By K. D. Chatterjee
3. District laboratory practice in Tropical countries –Part-I .
   By Monica cheesbrough.
4. Isenberg clinical microbiology procedures Handbook
   2nd edition. Vol. 2
5. Atlas of Medical Helminthology and ptotozoology -4th edn  -P.L.  Chiodini, A.H. Moody, D.W. Manser
6. Medical Parasitology by Abhay R. Satoskar, Gary L. Simon, Peter J. Hotez and Moriya Tsuji
7. Atlas of Human Parasitology, Lawrence R Ash, Thomas C. Orihel, 3 rd ed, Publisher ASCP press, Chicago.
8. Molecular Medical Parasitology. Editors: J. Joseph Marr, Timothy W. Nilsen andRichard W. Komuniecki, Publisher Academic press, an imprint of Elsevier Science.
9. Topley &  Wilsons Principle of parasitology. Editors: M.T. Parker & L.H. Collier, 8 th ed 1990, Publisher Edward Arnold publication, London.