An ultrastructural study of donovanosis.

ABSTRACT

In an ultrastructural study undertaken on donovanosis, the inflammatory response was studied along with the fine structure of causative organisms, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis. Macrophages were seen to be activated and showed presence of numerous filopodia and increase in the number of lysosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Many cells showed vacuoles of varying size in the cytoplasm some of which contained the organisms. Other cells seen included plasma cells, polymorphonuclear cells and sparse lymphocytes. In one case few multinucleated giant cells and dendritic cells with long cytoplasmic processes making cell-cell contact with other inflammatory cells were seen. Such cells have not been described in donovanosis so far. The organisms showed surface structures like pili and vesicles, the role of which is yet to be clearly understood.