[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [General pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) › [Cell injury, adaptation and death](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/#a-injury) › Pigments in tissue: lipofuscin, hemosiderin, melanin, bilirubin, carbon [General pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) · [Cell injury, adaptation and death](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/#a-injury) # Pigments in tissue: lipofuscin, hemosiderin, melanin, bilirubin, carbon - Lesion Pigments are coloured substances that build up in tissue. Some come from outside, like coal dust; others the body makes, like iron or bilirubin. Updated 2026-11-01 ## Key points - Lipofuscin: golden-brown, perinuclear, made of lipid peroxidation products; marks aging and atrophy, harmless itself. - Hemosiderin: golden-brown iron granules that stain blue with Prussian blue; local after bleeding, systemic in iron overload. - Hemochromatosis: iron overload with organ damage (liver cirrhosis, diabetes, heart failure, skin pigmentation). - Carbon (anthracosis): black pigment in lung macrophages and hilar nodes; heavy exposure causes coal worker’s pneumoconiosis. - Bilirubin: yellow-green, causes jaundice; in neonates unconjugated bilirubin can damage the brain (kernicterus). ## What it is Pigments are coloured materials that accumulate in cells or tissues. Exogenous pigments come from outside (carbon, tattoo ink). Endogenous pigments are made in the body: lipofuscin (wear and tear), melanin, hemosiderin (stored iron) and bilirubin. Recognising the pigment and its stain points to the cause: aging, bleeding, iron overload or liver disease. ## Key facts - A bruise changes colour as hemoglobin becomes biliverdin (green), bilirubin (yellow) and hemosiderin (golden brown). - Hemosiderosis from repeated transfusions or chronic hemolysis first loads macrophages; hemochromatosis loads parenchymal cells. - Heart-failure cells are alveolar macrophages full of hemosiderin from congested lungs. - Dubin-Johnson syndrome gives the liver a black colour from a melanin-like pigment. ## Pigments to recognise | Pigment | Origin | Appearance and stain | Meaning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Carbon | Exogenous: inhaled soot and coal dust | Black granules in macrophages | Urban exposure; coal worker’s pneumoconiosis | | Lipofuscin | Endogenous: peroxidized membrane lipids | Fine golden-brown perinuclear granules | Aging, atrophy (brown atrophy) | | Melanin | Endogenous: tyrosine in melanocytes | Brown-black; Fontana-Masson stain | Skin colour, nevi, melanoma; absent in albinism; ochronosis is a related dark pigment in alkaptonuria | | Hemosiderin | Endogenous: excess iron stored as ferritin aggregates | Golden-brown granules; Prussian blue positive | Bruise, heart-failure cells in lung, hemosiderosis, hemochromatosis | | Bilirubin | Endogenous: heme breakdown | Yellow-green; bile plugs in canaliculi | Jaundice; kernicterus in newborns | ## Clinical notes - Patients with thalassemia or sickle cell disease on chronic transfusions need iron monitoring and chelation to prevent organ damage. - Hereditary hemochromatosis is treated by regular phlebotomy, which removes iron before organs are damaged. ## Memory aid Black from outside (carbon), brown from age (lipofuscin), blue with Prussian (iron), yellow from the liver (bilirubin). ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which stain identifies hemosiderin? Prussian blue (Perls), which colours iron blue. ## What is lipofuscin and what does it indicate? A golden-brown pigment of lipid peroxidation products in lysosomes; it indicates aging or atrophy and is not harmful in itself. ## What are heart-failure cells? Alveolar macrophages filled with hemosiderin from red cells that leaked into congested lungs. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/general-pathology/pigments-in-tissue-lipofuscin-hemosiderin-melanin-bilirubin-carbon/) ## Related - [Intracellular accumulations: cholesterol, proteins, hyaline, glycogen](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/intracellular-accumulations-cholesterol-proteins-hyaline-glycogen/) - [Atrophy](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/atrophy/) - [Cellular aging: telomeres, DNA damage, senescence and proteostasis](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/cellular-aging-telomeres-dna-damage-senescence-and-proteostasis/) - [Oxidative stress and free-radical injury](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/oxidative-stress-and-free-radical-injury/) - [Air pollution and occupational exposures](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/air-pollution-and-occupational-exposures/) - [Special stains in diagnosis: Congo red, Prussian blue, PAS, Ziehl–Neelsen, Gram](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/special-stains-in-diagnosis-congo-red-prussian-blue-pas-ziehl-neelsen-gram/) ## Related conditions - [Hereditary hemochromatosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hereditary-hemochromatosis/) - [Pneumoconioses (silicosis, asbestosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pneumoconioses/) - [Thalassemias (α and β)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/thalassemias/) - [Sickle cell disease](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/) - [Heart failure](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/heart-failure/) - [Neonatal jaundice](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/neonatal-jaundice/) - [Crigler-Najjar syndrome](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/crigler-najjar-syndrome/) - [Dubin-Johnson syndrome](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/dubin-johnson-syndrome/) - [Alkaptonuria](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/alkaptonuria/) - [Oculocutaneous albinism](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/oculocutaneous-albinism/) - [Melasma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/melasma/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Bilirubin](https://durgical.com/en/biochemistry/molecules/bilirubin/) - [Heme breakdown and bilirubin](https://durgical.com/en/biochemistry/pathways/heme-breakdown-and-bilirubin/) - [Iron metabolism](https://durgical.com/en/biochemistry/topics/iron-metabolism/) - [Body iron balance](https://durgical.com/en/physiology/body-iron-balance/) - [Keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans and Merkel cells](https://durgical.com/en/histology/keratinocytes-melanocytes-langerhans-and-merkel-cells/) - [Microscopy and stains: H&E, PAS, trichrome, silver, immunohistochemistry](https://durgical.com/en/histology/microscopy-and-stains-h-y-e-pas-trichrome-silver-immunohistochemistry/) [← All of general pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) Educational content on the mechanisms of disease; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given. Sources: [Coal worker's pneumoconiosis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000130.htm) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2024); [Hemochromatosis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000327.htm) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2024); [Jaundice | Icterus | MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/jaundice.html) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/pigments-in-tissue-lipofuscin-hemosiderin-melanin-bilirubin-carbon/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/pigments-in-tissue-lipofuscin-hemosiderin-melanin-bilirubin-carbon/