The term lateral hypothalamic nucleus refers to a group of large cells located in the lateral hypothalamic area of the human ( Carpenter-1983 ). They may represent the lateral hypothalamic component of a group of large darkly staining neurons seen by Nissl stain to extend beyond the lateral hypothalamic area into the lateral edges of the medial nuclei of the hypothalamus, the lateral part of the posterior hypothalamic region and adjacent fields of Forel. See: large lateral hypothalamic neurons. Some neuroanatomists regard 'lateral hypothalamic nucleus' as a misnomer of an obsolete concept. The name is a misnomer, because the cells do not form a nucleus, i.e., are not a localized clustering of cells that share morphology, connections or neurotransmitter. The concept is obsolete, because the cells are now known to be distributed well beyond the bounds of the lateral hypothamic area ( Saper-2004; Saper personal communication ).