Koilocyte

Compartment: Epidermis

Illustration of an enlarged epithelial cell with a shrunken, dark, wrinkled nucleus surrounded by a clear perinuclear halo, in the upper spinous layer.
Koilocyte: HPV-associated cell with perinuclear halo and raisinoid nucleus.

Definition: An enlarged epithelial cell with a shrunken, dark, eccentric nucleus surrounded by a perinuclear halo — the pathognomonic cytopathic effect of HPV.

Clinical Context: Verruca vulgaris, Condyloma acuminatum, Verruca plana, HPV-associated squamous intraepithelial lesion

Key Feature: Sharply demarcated perinuclear halo with an enlarged, wrinkled (“raisinoid”) hyperchromatic nucleus, upper spinous/granular layer.

🔗 Related Terms: Acantholysis

See this in a real case: Vulvar HSIL, Usual Type, Warty (Condylomatous) Variant — HPV-Associated →