astrocytosis /as′trōsītō″sis/ [Gk, aster + kytos + osis, condition] , an increase in the number of neuroglial cells with fibrous or protoplasmic processes frequently observed in an irregular area adjacent to degenerative lesions, such as abscesses, certain brain neoplasms, and encephalomalacia. Astrocytosis represents a reparative process and in some cases may be diffuse in a large region.
