In glandular tissue, which nuclear artifact is observed?

• A. Nuclear bubbling
• B. Nuclear fragmentation
• C. Nuclear vacuolation
• D. Nuclear crenation

Answer: (A)

Nuclear artifacts are changes seen in nuclei that come from tissue processing rather than from true pathology. In glandular tissue, the characteristic nuclear artifact you’d observe is nuclear bubbling, which appears as small, round, bubble‑like clear spaces within or at the edge of the nucleus. This results from fixation and dehydration steps that create gas‑filled or vacuole‑like spaces inside the nucleus, producing a bubbly appearance under the microscope.

This differs from nuclear fragmentation, which shows broken or shattering pieces of the nucleus (often due to severe damage or necrosis), and from nuclear crenation, which is a shrunk, irregularly contoured nucleus. Nuclear vacuolation, when described, typically refers to vacuoles in the cytoplasm rather than within the nucleus.