Main Entry: Reed–Stern·berg cell

Pronunciation: \ˈrēd-ˈstərn-bərg-\

Function: noun

: a binucleate or multinucleate acidophilic giant cell found in the tissues in Hodgkin's disease—called also Sternberg cell, Sternberg-Reed cell

Reed, Dorothy (1874–1964), American pathologist. Reed published an article on Hodgkin's disease in 1902. In an analysis of the histological picture she described the proliferation of the endothelial and reticular cells and the formation of the giant binucleate or multinucleate cells. Because these cells had been described by Sternberg independently four years earlier, they are now known as Reed-Sternberg cells.

Stern·berg \ˈshtern-berk\ Carl (1872–1935), Austrian pathologist. Sternberg described the giant binucleate or multinucleate cells found in the lymph nodes in Hodgkin's disease in 1898. He was the first to differentiate Hodgkin's disease and aleukemic leukemia. He also wrote classic descriptions of lymphogranulomatosis (1905) and leukosarcoma (1915).