title: Small intestinal carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells.
abstract: An elderly woman underwent jejunectomy for a large, stenosing neoplasm. Histologically, we found an undifferentiated carcinoma with scattered mononuclear and multinuclear macrophages in the intestine and lymph node metastases. The multinuclear cells, being acid phosphatase-positive and CD68-immunoreactive, are referred to as osteoclast-like giant cells. Hepatic secondaries were discovered 6 months postoperatively. The patient succumbed to a chemotherapy-related septic event. We suggest that intratumoral infiltration by mononuclear and multinuclear macrophages expresses one of the body's defense mechanisms against cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine B, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odeh
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Misselevich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliven
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Boss
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000473:pathology*