Giant cell lesions

Micrograph showing giant cells in a giant cell tumour of bone. H&E stain.

Giant cell lesions appear from time to time.

The DDx is large:

• True neoplasms:
  • Giant cell tumour of bone.
  • Giant cell tumour of soft tissue (peripheral giant cell granuloma). (???)
  • Giant cell tumour of the jaw (central giant cell granuloma). (???)
  • Giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath.
  • Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma with giant cells.
  • Osteosarcoma with giant cells.
  • Aneurysmal bone cyst
    • Giant cell reparative granuloma (AKA solid aneurysmal bone cyst).
• Non-neoplastic:
  • Brown tumour.
• Granulomatous disease:
  • Sarcoidosis.
  • Other granulomatous disease.
    • Foreign body giant cells.
• Other:
  • Syncytiotrophoblasts:
    • Choriocarcinoma.
    • May be seen in seminoma/germinoma.
  • Malignant melanoma.
  • "Giant cell cystitis".
  • Others.

See also

• Bone.
• Giant cells.
• GCT - an abbreviation used for giant cell tumour and other tumours.
• Nuclear pleomorphism.