MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Histiocyte

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Histiocyte

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Alternative Names	Definition

Alternative Names

Macrophage

Definition Return to top

A histiocyte is a type of immune cell that eats foreign substances in an effort to protect the body from infection. Histiocytes do not travel through the blood. Instead, they remain in one part of the body. A histiocyte is also called a macrophage.

Histiocytes are found in many organs and tissues, including the following:

Spleen
Lymph nodes
Brain
Liver
Breast tissue
Tonsils
Placenta

An abnormal number of histiocytes leads to a condition called histiocytosis.

Update Date: 10/30/2006

Updated by: Donald Accetta, MD, MPH, President, Allergy & Asthma Care, PC, Taunton, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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