Hepatic oncocytes. Incidence, staining characteristics, and ultrastructural features.

Hepatocytes with orcein-positive ground-glass cytoplasm have been shown to contain abundant hepatitis B surface antigen in the cisternae of excess smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Hepatocytes with similar cytoplasmic changes that did not react with orcein were observed in 26.5% of 49 cases of cirrhosis. These cells exhibited granular, deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm that stained with phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin and contained numerous densely packed mitochondria as demonstrated by electron microscopy. Therefore, these cells were designated hepatic oncocytes. They were detected predominantly in cases of established cirrhosis, unrelated to etiology. Hepatic oncocytes may form nodular aggregates, but they did not show evidence of regeneration. The nature and pathogenesis of these cells remain unclear. Because of similar appearance, histochemical stains may be necessary to distinguish ground-glass hepatocytes from hepatic oncocytes.