Naked Nucleus

Naked Nucleus

Cytology A nucleus in a cytologic preparation that is virtually devoid of cytoplasm, which is typically seen in cell degeneration. In a pap smear, naked nuclei are non-specific findings and cells may correspond to degenerated endocervical cells, autolysed cells of postmenopausal atrophy, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, nonkeratinizing cervical cancer, endocervical, endometrial, and metastatic cancer. Naked nuclei are also a soft criterion for diagnosing ovarian endometriosis, which may be mixed with slightly elongated, cytoplasm-poor cells with hyperchromatic nuclei—definitive diagnosis of endometriosis requires the presence of endometrial glands, stroma and haemorrhage
Surgical pathology In a pathology specimen, naked nuclei are typical of undifferentiated/small cell carcinomas of any site—e.g., in small cell carcinoma of lung and elsewhere—and usually have friable—‘taffy-pull’—nuclei and scant or absent cytoplasm