Abstract
Multinucleated histiocytic giant cells (MHGC) are sometimes seen in skin-biopsy specimens from cats with inflammatory dermatoses. However, the prevalence, number, and morphological types of those cells have not been reported. We evaluated skin-biopsy specimens from 526 cats with inflammatory dermatoses and from 33 cats with normal skin. Overall, 7% (35/526) of cats with inflammatory dermatoses had MHGCs. The prevalence of MHGCs was greater (p<0.0001) in granulomatous dermatoses (32/125) than in nongranulomatous dermatoses (3/401). The prevalence of MHGCs was significantly higher in noninfectious granulomatous dermatoses (27/84) than in infectious granulomatous dermatoses (5/41; p=0.016). All 35 cats with MHGCs had the foreign-body-type of MHGC. Only 2 of those 35 cats also had some MHGCs of the Langhans type. MHGCs were not seen in normal skin. Number and morphological types of MHGCs were of no apparent diagnostic importance.
