Giant cells

Giant cells are "big" cells with multiple nuclei. They come in different flavours, which are suggestive of causality.

File:Giant cell in bronchial wash -- very high mag.jpg

Giant cell from a bronchial wash. Pap stain.

This article deals with the classic types of giant cells. A more general differential diagnosis of giant cells is in giant cell lesions.

Giant cell types

List:

• Touton giant cell.
• Osteoclast-like giant cell.
• Foreign body type giant cell.

Table

Type	Histology	DDx	Other	Image
Touton giant cell	Nuclei form a ring around the cell periphery with eosinophilic cytoplasm centrally and foamy cytoplasm at the periphery.	Juvenile xanthogranuloma, xanthoma, Erdheim-Chester disease, fat necrosis, dermatofibroma	High lipid content lesions, Named after Karl Touton	Error creating thumbnail: JXG (WC)
Epithelioid type	scattered nuclei	drug reaction, neoplasm, foreign body, infection, idiopathic, autoimmune, allergic	granulomatous inflammation	File:Crohn's disease - colon - very high mag.jpg Granuloma (WC)
Langhans giant cell	peripheral semi-circular eccentric nuclei	tuberculosis, sarcoidosis.	not to be confused with Langerhans cells, Named after Theodor Langhans	File:Granulation tissue containg a poorly formed granuloma with a Langhan's giant cell.jpg LGC (WC)
Osteoclast-like giant cells	multiple bland central nuclei, ruffled cell membrane.	osteoclasts, others	AKA osteoclast-type giant cells

See also

• Basics.
• Giant cell lesions - includes a DDx of lesions with giant cells.
• Histiocytoses.