Knowra Granuloma Granuloma A granuloma is an organized collection of immune cells that forms around a persistent infection, foreign material, or other stimulus. It walls off the stimulus but can also damage surrounding tissue.
Macrophage : A tissue immune cell that engulfs microbes and debris and coordinates inflammation. Macrophages often form the granuloma’s cellular core and recruit other immune cells.
Chronic inflammation : A prolonged inflammatory response involving immune cells, tissue injury, and attempts at repair. Granulomas are a distinctive pattern that chronic inflammation can take.
Tuberculosis : An infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually affecting the lungs. Tuberculosis commonly produces granulomas that may contain caseous necrosis.
Abscess : A localized collection of pus formed during an infection, containing fluid, immune cells, and tissue debris. Unlike a granuloma’s organized cellular aggregate, an abscess is centered on pus.
Epithelioid cell : An activated macrophage with an elongated shape and abundant cytoplasm. These transformed macrophages pack together to create the characteristic granuloma structure.
Cell-mediated immunity : An immune response driven chiefly by cells, including T lymphocytes and activated macrophages. This arm of immunity is central to containing many persistent intracellular stimuli.
Sarcoidosis : A multisystem inflammatory disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas in affected tissues. It is a major noninfectious cause of granulomas when no trigger is identified.
Granulation tissue : New vascular connective tissue that grows during wound healing. The similar names describe different findings: healing tissue, not an immune-cell nodule.
Langhans giant cell : A multinucleated giant cell formed by fusion of activated macrophages, often with nuclei arranged near its edge. This recognizable cell can appear within granulomas, especially in tuberculosis.
Lymphocyte : A white blood cell that includes B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells. Lymphocytes gather around granuloma cores and shape their immune activity.
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