Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Bone-marrow foam cells
HP:0004333
What it means
The presence of foam cells in the bone marrow, generally demonstrated by bone-marrow aspiration or biopsy. Foam cells have a vacuolated appearance due to the presence of complex lipid deposits, giving them a foamy or soap-suds appearance.
Rare diseases that can present with this3
The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Bone marrow foam cells · Large vacuolated foam cells ('NP cells') on bone marrow biopsy · Large vacuolated foam cells on bone marrow biopsy
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.