title: Multinucleate giant cells in neurofibromas: a clue to the diagnosis of neurofibromatosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A 54-year-old African-American male patient underwent removal of several cutaneous neurofibromas. Histopathologic examination revealed a nonencapsulated, haphazardly arranged proliferation of slender spindle cells in a myxoid stroma consistent with neurofibroma. Interestingly, each specimen exhibited numerous, large, multinucleate giant cells with nuclei arranged in a wreath-like or linear pattern. Immunoperoxidase staining revealed these cells to be negative with S-100 and CD-34. It was subsequently learned that this patient has neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of all lesions coded as neurofibroma from our institution between 1 June 2006 and 28 August 2006 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biopsies of 53 cutaneous neurofibromas from 51 patients were reviewed. In these, multinucleate giant cells were present in only three (5.7%), all in patients with single lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the incidence of floret-like giant cells in neurofibromas of patients with NF1 is unknown, our findings suggest that the presence of these cells might be a clue to the presence of NF1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Wirach M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Taungjaruwinai
authors.forename: Lynne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000473:pathology*; D017253:Neurofibromatoses / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*