pathology report

Pilomatricoma: Understanding Your Pathology Report

A pilomatricoma is a noncancerous growth that develops from the cells at the base of a hair follicle, the structures in the skin that make hair. It is one of the commonest lumps removed from a child’s skin. Your report may use a different spelling or an older name. Pilomatrixoma means the same thing, as …
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Juvenile Polyp: Understanding Your Pathology Report

A juvenile polyp is a noncancerous growth that forms in the lining of the colon or rectum. It is the most common type of polyp in children, and it is the usual explanation for painless bleeding from the bottom. The word juvenile here describes what the polyp looks like under the microscope, not the age …
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Sacrococcygeal Teratoma: Understanding Your Pathology Report

A sacrococcygeal teratoma is a growth made of several different kinds of tissue that develops at the base of the spine, in the area of the tailbone. It is the most common tumor found in newborn babies, affecting roughly 1 in every 35,000 to 40,000 births. It occurs about three to four times more often …
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Ependymoma: Understanding Your Pathology Report

Ependymoma is a tumor that grows from ependymal cells. These cells line the fluid-filled spaces of the brain and the narrow central canal running down the middle of the spinal cord. Ependymomas can develop anywhere along that lining, from the top of the brain to the bottom of the spine where the tumor starts matters …
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Glypican-3: Definition

Glypican-3 is a protein on the outer surface of cells that helps control signals that tell a cell whether to grow. The liver and other organs in a developing baby make large amounts before birth, and production almost stops afterward. Healthy liver tissue in a child or adult makes very little of it. Because normal …
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Beta-catenin: Definition

Beta-catenin is a protein found in almost every cell in the body. It does two jobs. It helps hold neighboring cells together at their surfaces. It also carries growth signals from the surface of a cell into the nucleus, the compartment where the genetic material is kept. Pathologists test for beta-catenin using a stain applied …
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INI1 (SMARCB1): Definition

INI1 is a protein found in the nucleus of every normal cell in the body. It is made by a gene called SMARCB1, and you may see either name in your report. Some laboratories write INI1, some write SMARCB1, and a few write BAF47. All three refer to the same thing. INI1 is a tumor …
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Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP): Definition

Alpha-fetoprotein, usually shortened to AFP, is a protein made in large amounts by the liver and the yolk sac of a developing baby before birth. After birth, the amount falls steadily, and by around 8 months of age it reaches the low level found in healthy older children and adults. AFP appears in pathology and …
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Choroid Plexus Tumors: Understanding Your Pathology Report

Choroid plexus tumors grow from the choroid plexus, the tissue inside the brain that makes the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. There are three types, and the pathology report will name one: choroid plexus papilloma, atypical choroid plexus papilloma, and choroid plexus carcinoma. They range from a slow-growing tumor that is usually cured …
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