Elastolytic giant cell granuloma: clinic-pathologic review of twenty cases.
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BACKGROUND: O'Brien described four histopathological patterns of actinic granuloma (AG). Since then, only single cases and a few series have been reported in the literature, most corresponding to cases of the giant cell type. METHODS: We reviewed all the cases diagnosed as AG or elastolytic giant cell granuloma (EGCG) in our department from 1988 until 2010. The biopsies were classified into the four patterns previously described. RESULTS: Giant cell pattern was found to be the most frequent (70% of the cases). In four cases, the biopsies showed more than one histopathologic pattern. All the lesions were located on sun-exposed areas or were related to chronic heat exposure. Diabetes mellitus was associated in 40 % of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The giant cell pattern of EGCG is the most frequent. Some cases may share histopathologic features of more than one variant and thus, we consider they may be categorized as mixed patterns. Diabetes mellitus is the most common associated disease and should always be ruled out. (+info)
Idiopathic granulomatous meningitis.
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A 69 year old female presented with eight discrete episodes of paraparesis over a period of six weeks. Each episode lasted between 10 and 30 minutes and resolved spontaneously. The cause of her symptoms was not established during life and at necropsy she was found to have granulomatous meningitis of the cerebral convexites. The clinical and pathological aspects of this rare condition are discussed. (+info)
Painless giant cell thyroiditis.
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We describe an atypical case of subacute thyroiditis affecting a 50 year old patient with long lasting fever, weight loss, malaise and a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Cytological examination of the thyroid gland showed the classic granulomas with giant cells. However, the patient had neither painful enlargement of the gland nor thyrotoxicosis. This case, as well as others previously described, probably represents a new subtype of subacute thyroiditis, painless giant cell thyroiditis. The presence of painless giant cell thyroiditis should be considered in any patient with undiagnosed pyrexia, weight loss and elevated ESR. (+info)
Acute idiopathic interstitial myocarditis: case report with special reference to morphological characteristics of giant cells.
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Necropsy findings of an acute fatal case of idiopathic interstitial myocarditis were reported. The patient was a 33 year old housewife who had acute cardiac failure on the sixteenth day after the onset of the disease. Necropsy showed important pathological changes confined to the heart. Both ventricles were affected by confluent granulomas with an ill defined patchy appearance. Histologically these lesions consisted of round cells, histiocytes, eosinophils and myogenic giant cells. The findings were compatible with those of interstitial myocarditis associated with a proliferation of giant cells. Both atriums were also affected to a minor extent, detectable only by histological examination. Electron microscopy and cytochemistry showed that most giant cells noted in the lesion showed myofibrils and primary lysosomes in the cytoplasm. Giant cells were positive for myoglobin. Though the macrophage origin of the giant cell in this disorder has been emphasised in a recent report, these cytological results suggest that giant cells observed in the cardiac granulomatous lesions of this case were mainly myogenic in origin. (+info)
A guide to the histological identification of fungi in tissues.
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Infections with fungi and fungus-like organisms have increased in recent years. The presence of a fungus is often unsuspected clinically and it may only come to light in the course of microscopic examination of tissues removed by biopsy or at necropsy. Subsequent culture is desirable but not always possible.A simple scheme for identifying fungi and fungus-like organisms is presented based on general morphology, staining, and other special characteristics with notes on types of tissue reactions and common pitfalls. (+info)
Kinetics of multinucleate giant cell formation and their modification by various agents in foreign body reactions.
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Foreign body multinucleate giant cells were produced by the implantation of a strip of Melenex in the subcutaneous tissues of mice. The implants were removed at various intervals, and the proportion of multinucleate giant cells as well as the number of nuclei they contained were counted and statistically assessed. The greatest proportion of giant cells was reached 4 weeks after implantation, when 25% of the attached cells were multinucleated. The mean nuclear content however was greatest approximately 2 weeks after implantation and rapidly fell over the ensuing weeks. The fusion potential however, remained almost unaltered for the remainder of the experimental period. Transplantation of 7-day Melenex implants from normal donors into lethally irradiated recipients demonstrated that the halflife of the giant cells is only a few days. Treatment with carrageenin, species-specific antisera, actinomycin D and cortisone inhibited, while puromycin enhanced, multinucleate cell formation. Calcium gluconate, EDTA and irradiation had no significant effect. The possible interpretation of some of these findings is discussed. (+info)