Giant cells

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

Giant cell types

List:

• Touton giant cell.
• Osteoclastic giant cell.
• Foreign body type giant cell.

Table

Type	Histology	Stains	Other	Image
Touton giant cell	nuclei around cell periphery	?	high lipid content lesions	JXG (WC)
Epithelioid type	scattered nuclei	?	?	Image
Langhans giant cell	peripheral eccentric nuclei	?	not to be confused with Langerhans cells	LGC (WC)

See also

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