Calcification is the buildup of calcium salts within body tissue where calcium is not normally found in significant amounts. While calcium is essential in bones and teeth — where it provides strength and structure — its accumulation in soft tissues such as the breast, arteries, lymph nodes, or organs is abnormal and can signal a …
Read More »
Atrophy (or atrophic) refers to the shrinking or loss of tissue in an organ or part of the body. This change is benign (non-cancerous). It describes how the tissue looks when examined under a microscope rather than being a specific medical diagnosis. What causes atrophy? Atrophy of tissue can occur for several reasons, including: Decreased …
Read More »
Atrophic describes tissues or organs that have become smaller or thinner due to decreased cell size or number. This change is benign (non-cancerous) and reflects how the tissue appears under a microscope. It is not a specific medical diagnosis but is commonly used by pathologists to describe tissue changes. What causes tissue to become atrophic? …
Read More »
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels made up of arteries and veins. In a normal circulatory system, blood flows from the heart through arteries, into tiny capillaries that supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and then back to the heart through veins. In an AVM, the blood flows directly from …
Read More »
Immunoreactivity is a term pathologists use to describe how cells or tissues respond to a special laboratory test called immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this test, antibodies are applied to a tissue sample to look for specific proteins. If the protein being tested is present, the antibody will attach to it, and the cells will change color …
Read More »
An immunostain is a specialized laboratory test that pathologists use to identify specific proteins in a tissue sample. The test is performed using a technique called immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this process, antibodies are designed to attach to a particular protein in the cells of the sample. Once the antibody binds, it becomes visible under the …
Read More »
In pathology, a tangentially sectioned tissue sample is one cut at an angle rather than straight across. When a sample is cut at an angle, the layers of tissue overlap in the thin slice placed on the microscope slide. This can make the sample difficult to interpret, and sometimes it prevents the pathologist from seeing …
Read More »
What does fibrotic mean? Fibrotic is a word pathologists use to describe a process called fibrosis. To learn more, read our article about fibrosis.
Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is caused by chronic inflammation (long-standing) that damages the colon and prevents it from working normally. The symptoms of this disease include diarrhea, fever, weight loss, bloating, and bloody stools. Pathologists normally describe the features seen in ulcerative colitis as chronic colitis. How is …
Read More »
The Gleason grade is a system pathologists use to describe how prostate cancer cells look under a microscope. It helps doctors understand how aggressive a type of prostate cancer called adenocarcinoma might be. The Gleason grade can only be determined after examining a sample of the tumor. How do pathologists determine the Gleason grade? To …
Read More »
