Anichkov Myocyte - Acute Rheumatic Fever

Needed an excuse to draw an AK47. Pew pew pew.

Some people describe these Anichkov myocytes to look like caterpillars, but I don't really see the resemblance. Anichkov (and probably any other Russian-ish name) does bring to mind the image of a Kalashnikov, so I threw that in for kicks!

Anichkov myocytes are found within fibrinoid/collagenous lesions caused by rheumatic fever. These lesions are known as Aschoff bodies. Acute rheumatic fever most often involves pancarditis or myocarditis resulting in mitral insufficiency. In chronic rheumatic fever, the mitral valve (causing either mitral stenosis or insufficiency) and aortic valve (causing either aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation) can be involved.

Rheumatic fever occurs after an infection with Group A β-hemolytic streptococci. How can you tell if a certain strain of streptococci is β-hemolytic? Culture it on a blood agar plate and β-hemolytic cells should lyse the RBCs.