Bronchiole

Bronchiole Chart

Cell types: Ciliated, brush, basal, goblet, Clara, argentaffin- endocrine cells

Differential diagnosis:
All small hollow organs (non-respiratory and respiratory) are distinguished on the basis of availability of distinct outer coat. The respiratory tubes have no distinct coat since they merge with lung tissue. Appendix or oviduct do not have distinct coats and should therefore not be confused with respiratory small luminal organs. Bronchus can be distinguished from bronchioles by the presence of submucous glands, goblets cells and also pseudostratified epithelium in the bronchus.

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Diagnostic Features:
a. Tissue is hollow and presents with a small lumen which fills less than 1/10th of low power field.
b. The epithelium is of pseudostratified variety and there is NO cartilage in adventitia.
c. There is some muscular tissue in adventitia but no submucous glands, few goblets cells and no distinct outer coat. Lung tissue alveoli are present in abundance.

Draw your own section here and make your diagnosis by data base selection below

Database selection:

Practical

Tissue

Gross

Level 1: Select hollow since the small bronchus is a hollow organ
Level 2: Select small as opposed to large since lumen fills less than 1/10th of low power field for tissues of rat to man. This will select from database both cartilage and non cartilage containing tubes.
Level 3: Select no distinct outer coat since the coat merges with surrounding lung tissue.
Level 4: Select no cartilage which is not found in adventitia. This eliminates bronchus.

Note the mucosa and its epithelial cell varieties.