Feathery degeneration

In histopathology, feathery degeneration, formally feathery degeneration of hepatocytes, is a form of liver parenchymal cell (i.e. hepatocyte) death associated with cholestasis. Feathery degeneration. H&E stain. In histopathology, feathery degeneration, formally feathery degeneration of hepatocytes, is a form of liver parenchymal cell (i.e. hepatocyte) death associated with cholestasis. Cells undergoing this form of cell death have a flocculant appearing cytoplasm, and are larger than normal hepatocytes. Feathery degeneration is somewhat similar in appearance to ballooning degeneration, which is due to other causes (e.g. alcohol, obesity); it also has cytoplasmic clearing and cell swelling.