Pathogen-Associated Histological Features
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| Cellular Feature | Associated Pathogen | Description |
| Owl's eye cells | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) | Large cells with intracellular inclusions surrounded by a clear halo, resembling an owl's eye. Pathognomonic of CMV infection. |
| Decoy cells | BK virus | Virally infected epithelial cells found in urine. Named for their resemblance to cancer cells, potentially causing diagnostic confusion between viral infection and urothelial malignancy. |
| Haufen | BK virus | Icosahedral aggregates of polyomavirus particles and Tamm-Horsfall protein detected in the urine of kidney transplant patients with BKVN using negative-staining electron microscopy. |
| Downie bodies | Cowpox virus | Intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies found in infected epithelial cells. |
| Negri bodies | Rabies virus | Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions found in neurons, particularly in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Considered pathognomonic for rabies infection. |
| Guarnieri bodies | Vaccinia virus, Variola virus (smallpox) | Cytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies in infected epithelial cells. |
| Paschen bodies | Variola virus (smallpox) | Elementary bodies of smallpox virus visible under electron microscopy. |
| Bollinger bodies | Fowlpox virus | Large intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in infected epithelial cells of birds. |
| Molluscum bodies | Molluscum contagiosum virus | Large intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (Henderson-Paterson bodies) that push the nucleus to the periphery. |
| Cowdry bodies type A | Herpes simplex virus, Varicella-zoster virus | Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies surrounded by a clear halo in infected cells. |
| Torres bodies | Yellow fever virus | Acidophilic intranuclear inclusions in hepatocytes. |
| Cowdry bodies type B | Poliovirus, Adenovirus | Basophilic intranuclear inclusions without a clear halo. |
| Warthin–Finkeldey bodies | Measles virus, HIV | Multinucleated giant cells with eosinophilic nuclear inclusions, found in lymphoid tissues. |
| Lipschutz bodies | Herpes simplex virus | Intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions surrounded by a clear halo, similar to Cowdry type A bodies. |
| Henderson-Paterson bodies | Molluscum contagiosum virus | Another name for molluscum bodies; large, intracytoplasmic viral inclusions. |
| Babes-Negri bodies | Rabies virus | Detailed name for Negri bodies; eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in neurons. |
| Donovan bodies | Klebsiella granulomatis | Intracellular rod-shaped bacteria seen in granuloma inguinale, appearing as "safety pin" structures when stained. |
| Michaelis-Gutmann bodies | Escherichia coli (common) | Calcified intracellular inclusions seen in malakoplakia, which stain positive with von Kossa and PAS stains. |
| Asteroid bodies | Various fungi (Histoplasma, Cryptococcus) | Star-shaped eosinophilic structures seen in granulomas, particularly in sarcoidosis and fungal infections. |
| Coccidioides spherules | Coccidioides immitis/posadasii | Large, round structures (30-60 µm) containing endospores in infected tissues. |
| Histoplasma capsulatum | Histoplasma capsulatum | Small (2-4 µm) intracellular yeasts in macrophages, visible with silver stains (Grocott's or Gomori). |
| Cryptococcus neoformans | Cryptococcus neoformans | Mucicarmine-positive yeasts with clear capsular halos in tissues. |
| Leishman-Donovan bodies | Leishmania species | Amastigotes (2-4 µm) of Leishmania seen within macrophages, containing a nucleus and kinetoplast. |
| Schüffner's dots | Plasmodium vivax | Fine stippling in red blood cells infected with Plasmodium vivax, representing caveolae-vesicle complexes. |
| Maurer's clefts | Plasmodium falciparum | Coarse dots or clefts in red blood cells infected with Plasmodium falciparum, representing parasite-derived structures. |
