In pathology, a contaminant refers to tissue or cells that mistakenly become included within a patient’s tissue sample during the laboratory process. Unlike a floater, which accidentally appears only on a microscope slide, a contaminant is embedded directly into the patient’s paraffin tissue block. As a result, contaminants repeatedly appear each time additional slides (recuts) …
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Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that develops from nerve cells called neuroblasts, which are usually found in infants and young children. It typically starts in parts of the body that form from special neural crest cells during fetal development. Common locations include the adrenal glands (near the kidneys), the chest, abdomen, pelvis, and along …
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Squamous dysplasia is a precancerous condition, which means the affected cells are not cancerous but have the potential to develop into cancer over time if left untreated. The term describes changes in squamous cells, which are flat cells that cover the surface of certain tissues in the body. Under the microscope, these cells look abnormal, and …
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High grade squamous dysplasia of the esophagus is a precancerous condition in which the cells lining the inside of the esophagus show significant abnormal growth. These cells are called squamous cells, and they normally form a thin, protective layer called the squamous epithelium. In high grade squamous dysplasia, the squamous cells look very different from …
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Low grade squamous dysplasia of the esophagus is a precancerous condition in which the cells lining the inside of the esophagus show abnormal growth. These cells are called squamous cells, and they normally form a thin, protective layer called the squamous epithelium. In low grade squamous dysplasia, the squamous cells begin to grow and look …
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Myeloid sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops from a group of blood-forming cells called myeloid blasts. These cells normally grow and mature in the bone marrow, which is the spongy tissue inside our bones. In myeloid sarcoma, abnormal myeloid blasts form a mass or tumour outside the bone marrow. This tumour can grow …
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Struma ovarii is a type of teratoma, a noncancerous tumour in the ovary. The term teratoma is used to describe a tumour made up of germ cells – specialized cells in the ovary that have the potential to form many different types of tissue. While most teratomas contain a mixture of tissues, such as hair, …
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The term suspicious for malignancy is used by pathologists to describe findings that strongly suggest cancer but lack enough clear evidence to make a definitive diagnosis. When this term appears in your pathology report, it means the pathologist sees some features of cancer in your tissue sample but needs more information or additional testing before …
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DOG1 (Discovered on GIST-1) is a protein found on the surface of certain cells. It is commonly used in pathology to identify specific types of tumours. DOG1 was first identified in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), but it can also be found in other normal tissues and tumours. What is the function of DOG1? Although DOG1’s …
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High grade B cell lymphoma NOS (HGBL NOS) is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells called B cells. These cells are part of the immune system and help protect your body from infections and diseases. “High grade” means that this type of cancer is likely to grow and spread quickly …
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