chronic inflammation

Definition: Inflammation in which mononuclear leukocytes, including lymphocytes, plasma cells (plasmocytes), and macrophages (histiocytes) predominate.

Occasional small lymphoid aggregates without germinal centers are to be expected, but presence of germinal centers is prima facie evidence of chronic inflammation.

Prominent numbers of eosinophils and mast cells, and fibrocytes with fibrosis when there is tissue repair, are often included in the overall picture of chronic inflammation.

Types

 lymphocytic inflammation
 plasmacytic inflammation
 eosinophilic inflammation
  granulomatous inflammation
 granulation tissue
 fibrosis

Etiology

 lesional inflammation
 infectious inflammation
 dysinflammatory inflammation
 dysimmune inflammation

Localization - Examples

 chronic myocarditis
 chronic interstitial nephritis
 chronic pancreatitis
 chronic vasculitis

See also

 inflammation

• acute inflammation