Curschmann's spirals

Curschmann's spirals are a microscopic finding in the sputum of asthmatics. They are spiral-shaped mucus plugs from subepithelial mucous gland ducts of bronchi. They may occur in several different lung diseases.[1]and may refer to parts of the desquamated epithelium seen in lavages from asthmatic patients.[2] These microscopic casts are named after German physician Heinrich Curschmann (1846-1910). They are often seen in association with creola bodies and Charcot-Leyden crystals. They are elongated microscopic mucous casts from small bronchi and are often found in sputum samples from patients with bronchial asthma. They can be stretched out to a length of around 2 cm and can sometimes be longer. They have a central core that may be ensheathed in cell debris and mucus.[3]

Curschmann's spiral

References
  1. Cenci M, Giovagnoli MR, Alderisio M, Vecchione A (November 1998). "Curschmann's spirals in sputum of subjects exposed daily to urban environmental pollution". Diagn. Cytopathol. 19 (5): 349–51. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0339(199811)19:5<349::AID-DC7>3.0.CO;2-7. PMID 9812228.
  2. "Curschmann's spiral in sputum from asthma patient". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  3. Academic Dictionaries; Academic 2014
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