Cytogenetics of Central Giant Cell Granuloma of the Mandible

Purpose Central giant cell granuloma is a benign entity that commonly occurs in the mandible and maxilla. It is usually treated by surgical excision, varying from curettage to en bloc resection. Because the entity is more common in diseases such as neurofibromatosis, a genetic element may be involved in its pathogenesis. Cytogenetic studies of central giant cell granuloma affecting bone are rare, and to the authors' knowledge, there are none reported in the literature for central giant cell granuloma of the mandible. Materials and Methods The authors investigated the cytogenetic profile of a case occurring in the mandible. Fresh biopsy tissue was minced and cultured in RPMI-1640 medium. Cells were fixed and stained, and cytogenetic analysis was performed according to standard procedures. Results A clone with t(1;17;18) and other random numerical chromosomal changes was found. Conclusions The significance of these findings in diagnosis and prognosis is currently unclear and further karyotyping studies are needed to more fully understand this tumor.