Why is starry sky appearance?

Pathology. It is thought to occur due to the edematous swelling of hepatocytes with a resultant decrease in the hepatic echogenicity. The altered acoustic properties between the portal venous radicles and hepatic lobules cause sonographic accentuation of the venule walls.

What is starry sky?

A starry night or sky is one in which a lot of stars are visible.

Why is portal vein echogenic?

The portal veins can be differentiated sono- graphically from the hepatic veins by the bright echogenic walls that surround them. This is due to the thick collagenous tissue in the portal vein walls. The hepatic veins do not exhibit echogenic borders (Fig. 1).

What disease is associated with starry sky pattern?

Under the microscope, the hallmark of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is the presence of a “starry sky” appearance (also observed in other highly proliferative lymphomas), imparted by scattered macrophages phagocytizing cell debris and apoptotic cells (tingible body macrophages) (see the image below).

What is the appearance of a starry sky?

A starry sky appearance refers to a sonographic appearance of the liver parenchyma in which there are bright echogenic dots throughout a background of decreased liver parenchymal echogenicity. Although usually associated with acute hepatitis, this sign has been found to have poor sensitivity and specificity 4 .

What does starry sky mean in medical terms?

A starry sky appearance refers to a sonographic appearance of the liver parenchyma in which there are bright echogenic dots throughout a background of decreased liver parenchymal echogenicity.

What kind of cancer has a starry sky pattern?

Another such term is “starry-sky pattern.” In Burkitt lymphoma (which is, by the way, the same thing as B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia), the histologic sections have a unique appearance at low power, as seen in the above image.

What does starry sky look like on liver?

A starry sky appearance refers to a sonographic appearance of the liver parenchyma in which there are bright echogenic dots throughout a background of decreased liver parenchymal echogenicity. Although usually associated with acute hepatitis, this sign has been found to have poor sensitivity and specificity 4. Pathology.