Skip to main content
Russell's body

Russell's body

9.9
A small round spot inside a plasma cell, a white blood cell, that appears in cancer or long-term inflammation
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cuerpo de Russell
  • In cases of multiple myeloma, Russell's bodies are often present.

Examples

  • The pathologist identified a Russell's body in the biopsy sample from the patient.

  • Presence of multiple Russell's bodies was noted in the bone marrow smear.

  • A Russell's body is often associated with chronic inflammation or cancerous conditions.

  • The pathologist identified a Russell's body in the biopsy sample.

  • A Russell's body is often found within plasma cells during the diagnosis of certain cancers.

  • The laboratory technician observed several Russell's bodies in the tissue samples.

  • During the examination, the doctor noted a distinct Russell's body in the patient's plasma cells.

Synonyms

inclusion
vsRussell's body
  • Specialized
2 7.9

A small object found inside a cell, often seen in some diseases

refers specifically to a type found in plasma cells during cancer or chronic inflammation
inclusion body
vsRussell's body
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A small part inside a cell often seen when the cell has a disease

is restricted to cytoplasm of certain immune cells and disease contexts
cancer body
vsRussell's body
  • Specialized
9.1

A small abnormal structure inside certain white blood cells seen in some cancers

is also associated with chronic inflammatory conditions as well as cancers
cellular inclusion
vsRussell's body
  • Specialized
8.0

A small spot inside a cell that shows disease or how the cell works

is specific to plasma cells and tied to certain cancers or chronic inflammation

Surface Forms

Morphology

Russell's + body

This is an eponymous technical medical term referring to a specific pathological inclusion in plasma cells; the possessive proper name 'Russell's' provides no semantic cue and 'body' only conveys a general physical structure. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not be able to infer the specialized medical meaning without prior exposure, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Russell's body is named after the doctor who first saw tiny, round bodies inside certain antibody-making cells. These visible blobs appear when cells are sick or cancerous, so the name now means those little 'inclusion bodies' seen in affected cells.