A 26-year-old woman presents with fever, malaise, signs of jaundice, clay-colored stool, and dark urine. A liver biopsy reveals liver cell drop-out along with focal inflammation and ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes. A few intensely eosinophilic oval bodies are found. What are these microscopic bodies called

Councilman bodies are intensely eosinophilic bodies that may be seen in liver biopsy specimens from individuals with viral hepatitis. These Councilman bodies are in fact necrotic hepatocytes that have undergone T-cell induced apoptosis. These apoptotic cells are cleared rapidly, and there may not be as many present in a liver biopsy specimen as were originally present.