Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Cytology description | Positive stains | Negative stains | Electron microscopy description | Additional referencesCite this page: Roychowdhury M. Osteoclastic giant cells. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/breastmalignantductalNOSosteoclastic.html. Accessed September 29th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Part of WHO classification
- Osteoclastic giant cells are present in stroma
- Presence of giant cells does not alter prognosis
Case reports
- 44 year old and 83 year old women (Diagn Pathol 2010;23:55)
- 46 year old woman (Radiographics 2002;22:691)
- 51 year old woman with pleomorphic carcinoma and prominent osteoclastic giant cells (Pathol Int 2009;59:91)
- Cases with neuroendocrine carcinoma (Pathologica 2008;100:176)
Gross description
- Often brown due to vascular stroma with hemosiderin
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Giant cells are associated with vascular stroma with extravasated red blood cells and hemosiderin, also chronic inflammatory cells and fibroblasts
- Giant cells have variable size and variable numbers of nuclei
- Similar histologic features in nodal metastases and recurrences (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1986;110:636)
- Carcinoma component may be any type
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Cytology description
- Abundant giant cells and mononucleated stromal cells associated with carcinoma cells (Diagn Cytopathol 2005;33:246)
Positive stains
- Osteoclastic giant cells: CD68; also acid phosphatase, lysosome, nonspecific esterase; also MMP9, TRAP, cathepsin K
Electron microscopy description
- Osteoclasts are histiocytes
Additional references