Silent Colonic Malakoplakia in a Living-Donor Kidney Transplant Recipient Diagnosed during Annual Medical Examination.

Abstract

Malakoplakia is a characteristic inflammatory condition, which is usually seen in the urogenital tract, and less frequently in the gastrointestinal tract. We present a case of colonic malakoplakia in an immunocompromised patient. A 55-year-old female visited the outpatient clinic for routine cancer surveillance. Her past medical history was significant for kidney transplantation 11 years ago, and she had been taking immunosuppressants. A colonoscopy revealed several depressed flat lesions and elevated polyps, which were 0.3 to 0.4 cm in size and accompanied by whitish exudates. A biopsy revealed an infiltration of histiocytes with ample granular eosinophilic cytoplasm, with some lymphocytes and plasma cells. Many histiocytes had the characteristic morphology, described as Michaelis-Gutmann bodies: one or several round basophilic structures of approximately 1 to 10 µm in size with some being laminated, some appearing homogeneous, and others having a dense central core with a targetoid appearance. These Michaelis-Gutmann bodies were positively stained on von Kossa stain, and were diagnostic for malakoplakia.

• Authors: Go Eun Bae, Nara Yoon, Ha Young Park, Sang Yun Ha, Junhun Cho, Yunkyung Lee, Kyoung-Mee Kim, Cheol Keun Park
• Journal: Korean journal of pathology (Korean J Pathol) Vol. 47 Issue 2 Pg. 163-6 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 1738-1843 [Print] Korea (South)
• PMID: 23667376 (Publication Type: Journal Article)