Emperipolesis and Peripolesis

In medicine, emperipolesis is the presence of an intact cell within the cytoplasm of another cell. It is derived from Greek (em is inside, peri is around, polemai is wander about).

It is related to peripolesis, which is the attachment of one cell to another.

This is a term used in cytology and specifically hematology. It is associated with certain disease states. It is a relatively rare condition associated with hematological malignancies and chronic viral illnesses. Hematophagic Syndrome and Chronic Hepatitis C are the most frequently cited examples.