Step I Multinucleated Giant Cells?

[Llenroc]

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What exactly are these and what is their significance?

I keep coming across it in Kaplan questions, but there's no listing for these in any index of the books I've got.

 

[exmike]

What exactly are these and what is their significance?

I keep coming across it in Kaplan questions, but there's no listing for these in any index of the books I've got.

typically granulomatous/chronic inflammation

 

[xjacob]

What exactly are these and what is their significance?

I keep coming across it in Kaplan questions, but there's no listing for these in any index of the books I've got.

To my knowledge, these are usually macrophages that are reacting to a foreign body. This includes granulomas. An exception are these giant cells that develop in lymph nodes after some vaccinations that are actually formed by T-cells (they go by some funny name...I just had that on Kaplan).
Also, I also got a kaplan q that...unfortunately I don't remember exactly...but I think it said that histiocytes are different from multinucleated giant cells in that they are more specific for granulomas...