The Morphogenesis of Gaucher Cells Investigated by Electron Microscopy

The ultrastructure of Gaucher cells in the spleen and in the liver from a case of juvenile type of Gaucher’s disease is described. Different types of cytoplasmic bodies are observed in Gaucher cells. These are surrounded by a single smooth membrane and contain tubular or ring-like structures that in the smaller bodies are set in a rather dense substance. Among these structures some erythrophagosomes have been detected. The limiting membrane of larger Gaucher bodies is frequently interrupted and the tubules appear in the extracellular spaces.

These observations support the hypothesis of the extracellular origin of tubular cerebroside material with a continuous production of cerebroside from digested erythrocytes associated with pinocytosis of the cerebroside subsequently liberated from the lysed Gaucher cells.