English: High magnification micrograph of a Mallory body, as seen in steatohepatitis. Liver biopsy. H&E stain.

Mallory bodies are eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions that are aggregates of denatured keratin filaments. They have a twisted rope-like appearance. On trichrome stain they are green/dark brown.

Associations (histologic):

• They often have neutrophils around them.
• They frequently are seen in hepatocytes undergoing ballooning degeneration.

Deutsch: Starke mikroskopische Vergrösserung eines Mallory Körperchens, welches als solches in einer Steatohepatitis verkommt. Leberbiopsie. Hämatoxylin-Eosin-Färbung.

Mallory Körper sind eosinophile, zytoplasmatische Einschlüsse, wobei es sich um Aggregate von denaturierten Keratinfilamenten handelt. Sie erscheinen in ihrem Äusseren wie gewundene Stränge. In der trichromatischen Färbung sind sie grün/dunkel braun.

Prevalence and associations

They are classically found in the livers of people suffering from alcoholic liver disease and were once thought to be specific for that.

They are most common in alcoholic hepatitis (prevalence of 65%) and alcoholic cirrhosis (prevalence of 51%).

They are a recognized feature of Wilson's disease (25%), primary biliary cirrhosis (24%), non-alcoholic cirrhosis (24%), hepatocellular carcinoma (23%) and morbid obesity (8%), among other conditions.

See also

• Image:Mallory body high mag.jpg - uncropped version of this image.