Aschoff bodies are best described as?

Aschoff bodies are best described as?

• A. Calcific deposits on heart valves
• B. Fibrous deposits on atherosclerotic plaques
• C. Focal inflammatory lesions found in all layers of the heart
• D. Vegetations on the aortic valve

Answer: (C)

Aschoff bodies are focal granulomatous inflammatory lesions of acute rheumatic fever. They feature central fibrinoid necrosis surrounded by activated macrophages (Anitschkow cells) and giant cells, with inflammatory cells in the surrounding tissue. Crucially, these lesions can be found in all layers of the heart—in the endocardium, myocardium, and pericardium—so they reflect involvement of the heart muscle and its coverings during rheumatic carditis. That distribution across the heart walls is why the description of being focal inflammatory lesions found in all layers of the heart is the best fit. They are not calcium deposits on valves, not fibrous deposits on atherosclerotic plaques, and not vegetations from endocarditis; those describe different processes.

Aschoff bodies are focal granulomatous inflammatory lesions of acute rheumatic fever. They feature central fibrinoid necrosis surrounded by activated macrophages (Anitschkow cells) and giant cells, with inflammatory cells in the surrounding tissue. Crucially, these lesions can be found in all layers of the heart—in the endocardium, myocardium, and pericardium—so they reflect involvement of the heart muscle and its coverings during rheumatic carditis. That distribution across the heart walls is why the description of being focal inflammatory lesions found in all layers of the heart is the best fit. They are not calcium deposits on valves, not fibrous deposits on atherosclerotic plaques, and not vegetations from endocarditis; those describe different processes.