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Which diseases can involve granulomatous inflammation?
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A doctor examining chest X-rays of patients infected with tuberculosis, which remains one of the world's deadliest diseases.
Granulomatous inflammation is a specialized form of chronic inflammation characterized by the formation of granulomas—small clusters of modified macrophages known as epithelioid cells, often surrounded by lymphocytes and sometimes containing giant cells.1
Several conditions and infectious agents are associated with this type of inflammatory response:
- Infectious Diseases: A classic example is tuberculosis, where the resulting granulomas are specifically termed tubercles. Other infections include fungal infections, syphilis, and schistosomiasis.1
- Chronic Granulomatous Disease: This is a group of rare, inherited disorders where phagocytes cannot destroy ingested microorganisms. The resulting persistent infections lead to the formation of tumorlike granulomas.2
- Autoimmune Conditions: Rheumatoid arthritis is also characterized by the presence of granulomas.1
Granulomas typically form when the body is unable to eliminate an offending agent, such as persistent pathogens or foreign materials that resist phagocytosis.1