A
foreign body granuloma is a reaction to exogenous (foreign) or
endogenous materials that are too large to be ingested by macrophages.
These localized lesions may occur at any age and clinically present as
papules, plaques or nodules.
Examples of
granulomas due to exogenous material:
Starch
(Maltese cross birefringence
in polarized light)
Talc
- birefringent
Suture
material - (nylon, silk,
dacron)- birefringent refractile multicoloured.
Wood
splinter or bone fragment-
Special stains for microorganisms should be performed to rule out
infection due to contamination.
Plant
material can be identified
by PAS stain
Arthropod
bite can cause granulomatous
reaction
Silica
(glass or sand ), zirconium & beryllium
elicit sarcoidal granulomatous reaction.
Tattoo
material- Extracellular
pigment is identified and may induce local sarcoidal granulomas.
Tetanus
toxoid (aluminium-adsorbed vaccines)
may induce foreign body reaction. (Granular debris at the centre
surrounded by histiocytes and lymphoid infiltrate with follicle &
eosinophils at the periphery). May resemble
Kimura's disease.
Silicone granulomas:
A silicone granuloma is a tissue
reaction elicited by silicone. Silicone granuloma in the breast arises
from leakage of prosthesis. Foreign body giant cells are present near
lacunar spaces filled with amorphous refractile material. PathCase
56
Examples of
granulomas due to endogenous material:
Calcium
deposits; Urates-
Gouty Tophus
-
PathCase 57
; Oxalate;
Keratin &
hair : Granulomatous
inflammation is present adjacent to ruptured epidermal and pilar cyst,
pilomatrixomas
and dermoid cyst.
Damaged hair follicle can elicit granulomatous reaction. Fragments of
keratin may be identified in the dermis.
Hair shafts are round or oval shaped on section, birefringent and Ziehl-
Neelson stain positive.
Note:
Foreign body reaction to keratin is an indication for a careful search
for residual squamous cell carcinoma or recurrent tumour in a patient
with H/O of carcinoma.
Histological
feature:
Initially there is suppuration around the foreign material.
This is
followed by granulomatous inflammation which may be tuberculoid,
sarcoidal, suppurative or necrobiotic type.
In the later stage there is
fibrosis.
Around the foreign material there are histiocytes, some of these have
differentiated into large cells with indistinct cell boundaries called
epithelioid cells.
There are multinucleated giant cell of foreign
body-type often containing ingested foreign material.
In foreign body
giant cells the nuclei are scattered irregularly throughout the
cytoplasm.
A few Langhans type of giant cells may be present, in which
the nuclei are distributed along the periphery in a semicircle.
Diagnostic
clue:
In most cases foreign
material can be recognized in H&E sections.
In difficult cases (granulomatous inflammation of skin or panniculitis in which the nature
cannot be diagnosed ) polarized light should be used to identify
birefringent foreign material.
Differential
diagnosis:
Granulomatous inflammation
in deep fungal infection,
atypical mycobacteria or
leishmaniasis
may simulate features of foreign body reaction. Special stains for
microorganisms are useful in establishing the diagnosis.
Visit:
Infectious Granuloma of the Lung
;
Pathological Diagnosis of Granulomatous Lung
Diseases ;
Non-necrotising Granulomatous Inflammation of
the lung ;
An approach to Histopathological examination of Pulmonary
Granulomatous Inflammation ;
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