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Towards better understanding of giant cell granulomas of the oral cavity
  1. Atif Ahmed1,2,
  2. Aparna Naidu3
  1. 1Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  2. 2Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  3. 3Oral Pathology, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Atif Ahmed, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA; aahmed{at}cmh.edu

Abstract

Giant cell granulomas are enigmatic lesions of the oral cavity characterised by a peculiar combined proliferation of mononuclear and multinucleated giant cells in a mesenchymal stromal background. Central and peripheral giant cell granulomas may have similar pathogenesis and histology but differ in their location and biological behaviour. It is important to differentiate them from other giant cell lesions that can occur in the oral cavity, such as giant cell tumour of the bone, aneurysmal bone cyst, brown tumour of hyperparathyroidism, and giant cell lesions of Ramon syndrome, Noonan syndrome, neurofibromatosis and Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome. A recent insight into their molecular genetics and pathogenesis, with identification of KRAS, FGFR1 and TRPV4 mutations, allows for better diagnostic differentiation and opens the door to the use of pathway inhibitors in the treatment of recurrent or dysmorphic lesions. In this review, we provide an updated summary of the clinical and pathological features of oral cavity giant cell granulomas that help with their precise diagnosis and management.

  • granuloma
  • pathology
  • oral
  • bone neoplasms

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Footnotes

  • Handling editor Tahir S Pillay.

  • Correction notice This article has been corrected since it first published. The provenance and peer review statement has been included.

  • Contributors All authors have contributed equally to the manuscript.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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