Dysfunctional syncytia refer to dysfunctional multicellular clumps produced due to the cell to cell fusion. The cells infected with HIV also may merge with the closer uninfected cells, producing balloon-like giant cells known as syncytia.
The existence of the syncytia-stimulating variants of HIV has been associated with the rapid disease progression in the HIV-infected people. The diagnosis of the condition is done by noticing the formation of multi-nucleate enlarged cells.
This is formed by the amalgamation of the infected cells with the adjacent cells resulting in the formation of multi-nucleate enlarged cells.