Fibrous lesions of the skin and mucous membranes which contain stellate and multinucleated cells.

Various fibrous lesions of the skin and mucous membranes share the common histologic feature of stellate and multinucleated fibroblasts. These cells are conspicuous under the light microscope because they contain a well-developed, rough endoplasmic reticulum which, because of its high RNA content, stains basophilic. These characteristic cells are a nearly constant feature of the retrocuspid papilla. They are apparent in about half of the fibrous papules of the nose and abundant in about 1 per cent of irritation fibromas. These lesions most likely represent a nonspecific proliferation of the lamina propria or papillary dermis to various stimuli.