What does granuloma mean?
A granuloma is a localized mass of chronic inflammatory tissue made up largely of macrophages and other immune cells. It can develop when the body responds to a persistent irritant, such as an infection, foreign material, or an autoimmune disease. The term appears in medicine, dermatology, and dentistry, and it can describe several different lesions depending on their cause and appearance. Although the word may initially suggest a tumor, a granuloma is not inherently cancerous: it is primarily a tissue response, and its significance depends on the condition that produced it. The related adjective granulomatous is widely used in expressions such as granulomatous inflammation. Recognizing the word is useful because granulomas often provide important clues in diagnosing diseases including sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, Crohn disease, and some fungal infections. The plural forms granulomas and granulomata are both used, although granulomas is more common in modern English.
nounA granuloma is a localized mass of chronic inflammatory tissue, typically composed largely of macrophages and other immune cells, that forms in response to a persistent irritant, infection, autoimmune process, or foreign material. It is a descriptive pathological term rather than a diagnosis in itself and is not necessarily cancerous.
- A localized mass or lesion of chronic inflammatory tissue, usually consisting of macrophages and other immune cells, produced in response to a persistent irritant, infection, foreign body, or disease process.
"A biopsy revealed a noncaseating granuloma, a finding commonly associated with sarcoidosis."
"A biopsy revealed a noncaseating granuloma, a finding commonly associated with sarcoidosis."
"The dentist removed a small pyogenic granuloma from the gum near the tooth."
Granulomas is the usual plural in modern English; granulomata is also established, especially in older or more formal medical usage.
"Several granulomas were identified in the tissue sample."
A granuloma may sound like a tumor, but the name refers to inflammation, not cancer: it is a mass of immune cells responding to a long-lasting irritant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does granuloma come from?
The word comes through New Latin medical terminology from the Latin granuloma, a formation based on granulum, meaning “small grain.” Latin granulum is itself a diminutive of granum, “grain.” Its modern pathological meaning developed through medical usage for a small, grain-like mass of inflammatory tissue.
Related word forms
How granuloma is actually used
This is a formal medical and pathological term, especially used in dermatology, dentistry, infectious disease, and internal medicine. It should not be used as a general synonym for tumor, because granulomas are generally inflammatory and are not inherently malignant.