Pemphigus is a group of rare autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes (the moist surfaces inside your mouth, nose, throat, and genitals). The outer layer of these tissues is made of keratinocytes, which are flat cells arranged like tiles on a roof. In pemphigus, the immune system produces antibodies that target specific …
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Melanosis coli is a harmless condition that affects the large intestine (colon). In this condition, the lining of the colon turns dark brown or black due to a buildup of a pigment called lipofuscin. This pigment develops within cells that line the inside surface of the colon. Melanosis coli is noncancerous and typically related to …
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Atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) is a term pathologists use when examining a prostate biopsy under a microscope. It describes a small group of atypical prostate glands that could represent reactive features, benign (noncancerous) entities, or low grade prostate cancer. The microscopic features of ASAP are insufficient to establish a definitive cancer diagnosis, although it …
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Poorly differentiated carcinoma is a type of cancer made up of cells that line the surfaces of organs. Differentiation refers to the degree to which cancer cells resemble normal cells from the tissue in which they originated. When cancer is poorly differentiated, the tumour cells have lost many of the normal structures and features, making …
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In a pathology report, the term non-diagnostic means that the pathologist was not able to make a diagnosis based on the tissue or sample that was provided. This result does not mean the sample is normal or healthy—it simply means that there was not enough information in the sample to make a clear conclusion. Non-diagnostic …
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Follicular neoplasm is a preliminary diagnosis used by pathologists to describe a growth in the thyroid gland made up of cells that look like the follicular cells of the thyroid. This term is most often used after a procedure called a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), in which a small sample of cells is taken from …
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Fibrocystic change is a non-cancerous (benign) condition of the breast that includes several related changes that often occur together. These changes include cysts, fibrosis, apocrine metaplasia, and adenosis. Fibrocystic change is very common and is seen in up to 60% of women of reproductive age. It can affect one or both breasts and may cause …
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What is an inflammatory polyp in the stomach? An inflammatory polyp is a non-cancerous growth that develops from the tissue that lines the inside of the stomach. Another name for this growth is a hyperplastic polyp. What causes an inflammatory polyp? Most inflammatory polyps in the stomach are associated with a condition called chronic gastritis …
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Flat epithelial atypia (FEA) is a non-cancerous change that occurs in the small glands of the breast called terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs). In FEA, the normal cells lining the glands are replaced by one or more layers of mildly abnormal cells. These abnormal cells are usually cuboidal or column-shaped and look similar to the …
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Papillary lesion of the breast is a term pathologists use to describe a group of breast tumours that look similar when examined under the microscope. This group includes both non-cancerous tumours and cancers. Papillary lesion is a preliminary diagnosis. Typically, the entire tumour needs to be removed and examined before a final diagnosis can be …
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