In pathology, an excision refers to the surgical removal of a piece of tissue from the body. This procedure is commonly performed to remove abnormal tissue, such as a tumor or an area of infection, and can be done for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In a diagnostic context, an excision may be carried out …
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Anemia is a condition in which the blood has too little hemoglobin, the protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Anemia can happen when there are fewer red blood cells than normal or when each red blood cell contains less hemoglobin than it should. Because oxygen is essential for producing energy, …
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In pathology, well differentiated is a term used to describe how tumor cells look when examined under a microscope. Tumor cells described as well differentiated closely resemble the normal, healthy cells of the tissue from which the tumor started. These cells typically appear organized, uniform in size and shape, and maintain many features of their …
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Breslow thickness (also called Breslow depth) is a measurement used by pathologists to describe how far cancer cells in invasive melanoma — a type of skin cancer that starts in pigment-producing cells called melanocytes — have grown into the skin. The measurement tells doctors the distance, in millimeters, from the skin surface to the deepest …
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Acanthosis is a word pathologists use to describe a thickening of the surface layer of tissue caused by an increased number of squamous cells. Squamous cells are flat, protective cells that form the outer lining of many parts of the body, including the skin, mouth, throat, esophagus, cervix, and anal canal. When these cells multiply …
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In a pathology report, the term non-reactive is used to describe the result of a laboratory test called immunohistochemistry. This test helps pathologists identify specific proteins or other substances made by cells in a tissue sample. When a group of cells is described as non-reactive, it means the cells did not produce the protein or …
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What are mismatch repair proteins? Mismatch repair proteins (MMR) are a system inside all normal, healthy cells for fixing mistakes in our genetic material (DNA). The system is made up of different proteins and the four most common are called MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2. The four MMR proteins MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2 work …
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A virus is an incredibly small biological agent capable of infecting animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. The typical virus is approximately 1/10 the size of a single bacteria and 1/100 to 1/1000 the size of a human cell. What are the parts of a typical virus? Although there are many different types of viruses (see …
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SOX10 is a protein that helps control how certain types of cells grow, develop, and function in the body. It plays a particularly important role in the development of cells in the nervous system and melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells found in the skin. Pathologists use SOX10 as a marker to identify tumours that arise …
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What is lymphocytosis? Lymphocytosis is a word pathologists use to describe an increased number of specialized immune cells called lymphocytes either in the blood or inside an organ. Organs that commonly show lymphocytosis include the stomach, small bowel, and colon. Lymphocytes normally help the body fight off infections caused by viruses and bacteria. However, increased …
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