GIANT CELLS
- Langhan giant cell –
- Nuclei are arranged either around the periphery in the form of horse shoe or ring or clustered at the two poles of giant cell.
- They are seen in granulomatous conditions like TB, Syphilis, sarcoidosis, leprosy (mainly TB) type, leishmaniasis, crohn’s disease
- Foreign body giant cells –
- Numerous nuclei are randomly scattered throughout the cytoplasm, often aggregating towards the centre of cell
- They are seen in response to various endogenous and exogenous foreign bodies
- Tumor giant cell –
- Larger cells having numerous nuclei which are hyperchromatic and pleomorphic
- They are formed from dividing nuclei of neoplastic cells
- They are seen in anaplastic carcinoma and high grade sarcomas
- Touton giant cells –
- Also called as xanthelasmatic giant cells
- They are small sized cells with a full ring of nuclei with eosinophilic cytoplasm centrally and foamy cytoplasm at periphery
- They are seen in lesions with high lipid content eg. xanthoma, xanthogranuloma, fat necrosis, dermatofibroma
- Osteoclast like giant cell