Ultrastructural organization of the Reed-Sternberg cell: Its resemblance to cells of the monocyte-macrophage system

A dichotomy exists in the characterizations of the histogenesis of Hodgkin's disease. The Reed-Sternberg cell has been shown to possess functional properties both of lymphocytes and of mononuclear phagocytes. The majority of ultrastructural studies support the lymphocytic origin although a conflicting report describes some features of 'histiocytic' cells. In our study of four cases of Hodgkin's disease, the Reed-Sternberg cells contained a well-developed Golgi, moderate numbers of free polyribosomes and smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, variable numbers of lysosomes, lipid droplets, glycogen, fibrillar bodies, and irregular cytoplasmic processes. The number, size, and organization of cytoplasmic organelles are more consistent with a mononuclear phagocyte than a transformed lymphocyte and are similar to those seen in monoblastic leukemias. These findings support the concept of the derivation of the Reed-Sternberg cell from a monocyte-macrophage.