This is a high power view of a Reed-Sternberg cell seen with Hodgkin's disease. Note the large, prominent nucleoli.
Question: What is the origin of the Reed-Sternberg cell?
Answer
The R-S cell is a a preapoptotic germinal center B lymphocyte that becomes resistant to apoptosis and generates a microenvironment that resists immune destruction. It produces cytokines that elicit a pronounced accumulation of reactive cells.
