If you have had a Pap test, a fine needle aspiration, or a procedure to sample fluid from around your lungs or in your abdomen, the report you received was likely a cytology report. Cytology reports are different from the tissue-based pathology reports most people are familiar with — they are based on the examination …
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A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a surgical procedure that removes one or two lymph nodes, most likely the first stop for cancer cells spreading from a tumour. The removed nodes are sent to a pathology laboratory where a pathologist examines them carefully under the microscope. The resulting pathology report tells your medical team whether …
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Respiratory type mucosa is the specialized tissue found on the inner surface of the airways that carry air in and out of the lungs. This tissue is designed to protect the airways and help keep them clean by trapping dust, germs, and other particles before they reach the lungs. The word mucosa refers to a …
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A focus score is a measurement used by pathologists to describe the amount of inflammation seen in a minor salivary gland biopsy. It is most commonly used when doctors are evaluating for Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects moisture-producing glands. The focus score quantifies the number of immune cell clusters present in the tissue …
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Mesothelial proliferation is a term used by pathologists to describe an increase in the number of mesothelial cells. Mesothelial cells form a thin layer that lines the membranes around the lungs (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum), heart (pericardium), and testis (tunica vaginalis). A mesothelial proliferation can be benign (noncancerous) or, less commonly, part of a malignant (cancerous) process …
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Mesothelial hyperplasia is a noncancerous condition in which the cells that line the membranes around the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testis—called mesothelial cells—begin to grow or multiply more than usual. These membranes are known as the pleura (around the lungs), peritoneum (around the abdominal organs), pericardium (around the heart), and tunica vaginalis (around the testis). …
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The term atypical mesothelial proliferation is used when a pathologist sees mesothelial cells—the cells that line the membranes covering the lungs (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum), heart (pericardium), or testis (tunica vaginalis)—that look abnormal (atypical) under the microscope. This finding means that the pathologist sees some worrisome changes in how the mesothelial cells look or grow, but …
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An excisional biopsy is a type of surgical procedure in which the entire abnormal area of tissue is removed so it can be examined under a microscope by a pathologist. Unlike other types of biopsies that only take a small sample, an excisional biopsy removes the whole lump, lesion, or suspicious area. This enables the …
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A bone marrow biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small sample of bone marrow is taken so that it can be examined under a microscope by a pathologist. The bone marrow is the soft tissue found inside bones, and it is where most of your blood cells are made. By looking at a …
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A liquid biopsy is a medical test that detects signs of disease, such as cancer, in a sample of body fluid—most often blood. Unlike a traditional biopsy, which involves removing a small tissue sample with a needle or during surgery, a liquid biopsy is minimally invasive and can be done with a simple blood draw. …
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