![Juvenile xanthogranuloma - very high mag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Juvenile_xanthogranuloma_-_very_high_mag.jpg)
Touton giant cells are a type of
multinucleated giant cell seen in lesions with high
lipid
Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...
content such as
fat necrosis
Fat necrosis is a form of necrosis characterized by the action upon fat by digestive enzymes.
In fat necrosis the enzyme lipase releases fatty acids from triglycerides. The fatty acids then complex with calcium to form soaps. These soaps appe ...
,
xanthoma
A xanthoma (pl. xanthomas or xanthomata) (condition: xanthomatosis) is a deposition of yellowish cholesterol-rich material that can appear anywhere in the body in various disease states. They are cutaneous manifestations of lipidosis in which lip ...
, and xanthelasma and
xanthogranulomas. They are also found in
dermatofibroma
A dermatofibroma, or benign fibrous histiocytomas, is a benign nodule in the skin, typically on the legs, elbows or chest of an adult. It is usually painless.
It usually ranges from 0.2cm to 2cm in size but larger examples have been reported. It ...
.
History
Touton giant cells are named for
Karl Touton, a German
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
and
dermatologist
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...
. Karl Touton first observed these cells in 1885 and named them "xanthelasmatic giant cells", a name which has since fallen out of favor.
Appearance
Touton giant cells, being multinucleated giant cells, can be distinguished by the presence of several nuclei in a distinct pattern. They contain a ring of
nuclei surrounding a central homogeneous
cytoplasm
In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. The ...
, while foamy cytoplasm surrounds the nuclei. The cytoplasm surrounded by the nuclei has been described as both
amphophilic and
eosinophilic
Eosinophilic (Greek suffix -phil-, meaning ''loves eosin'') is the staining of tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye.
Eosin is an acidic dye for staining cell cytoplasm, collagen, and muscle fibers. ''Eosi ...
, while the cytoplasm near the periphery of the cell is pale and foamy in appearance.
Causes
Touton giant cells are formed by the fusion of macrophage-derived foam cells. It has been suggested that
cytokines
Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–25 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are peptides and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrin ...
such as
interferon gamma
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a dimerized soluble cytokine that is the only member of the type II class of interferons. The existence of this interferon, which early in its history was known as immune interferon, was described by E. F. Wheelock ...
,
interleukin-3
Interleukin 3 (IL-3) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''IL3'' gene localized on chromosome 5q31.1. Sometimes also called colony-stimulating factor, multi-CSF, mast cell growth factor, MULTI-CSF, MCGF; MGC79398, MGC79399: the protein ...
, and
M-CSF
The colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), also known as macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), is a secreted cytokine which causes hematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into macrophages or other related cell types. Eukaryotic cells also ...
may be involved in the production of Touton giant cells.
References
External links
Cytokines & Cells Online Pathfinder Encyclopaedia
Cell biology
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