Giant Cell Tumor

Giant cell tumor (GCT) is one of the most common benign bone tumors, which occurs in young adults 20-40 years old with a high recurrence rate and a potential for aggressive behavior. It is most commonly located at the metaphyseal or epiphyseal portion of the tibia or femur. While overall GCT has a benign characteristic, the disease behavior spectrum is extremely unpredictable. Local aggressiveness can range from focal symptoms due to bony or cortical destruction, up to surrounding soft tissue expansion and metastasis. An occurrence within the axial skeleton can lead to severe local complications and is usually unresectable. The biopsied tissue have multinucleated giant cells under the microscope. They consist of three different cell types: The tumor bone resorption is primarily done by the giant cells. The spindle-like stromal cells recruit monocytes and promote their fusion into giant cells. The stromal cells also improve the resorptive ability of the giant cells.