The small intestine has tiny, finger-like projections called villi that help absorb nutrients from food. Villous atrophy refers to the flattening or shrinking of these villi. When the villi are damaged and shrink, they can no longer effectively absorb nutrients, leading to various health problems. What causes villous atrophy? Villous atrophy can be caused by …
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Anaplasia is a term pathologists use to describe cancer cells that have lost the appearance and organization of the normal cells they came from. In healthy tissue, cells are differentiated — meaning they have developed specialized shapes and functions suited to the organ they belong to. Anaplastic cells have shed this specialization entirely. They look …
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Pilocytic astrocytoma is a type of brain tumor that develops from astrocytes, star-shaped support cells found throughout the brain and spinal cord. It is considered a low-grade tumor, meaning the cells grow slowly and typically do not invade the surrounding brain tissue the way more aggressive tumors do. Pilocytic astrocytomas are also described as well-circumscribed, …
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GFAP stands for glial fibrillary acidic protein. It is a protein found in specific cells of the nervous system and in the salivary glands. GFAP is important because it helps maintain the structure and supports the function of these cells. What types of normal cells and tissues express GFAP? Examples of cell types that normally …
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CD138 (also known as syndecan-1) is a protein found on the surface of plasma cells — a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, which are proteins the immune system uses to fight infections. CD138 is also found on the surface of epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the inner surfaces of …
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HPV-associated dysplasia of the larynx is a precancerous change in the lining of the voice box caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Dysplasia means the squamous cells lining the larynx have started to grow and mature abnormally. It is not cancer, but over time it can develop into a type of laryngeal cancer …
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Follicular subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma is a type of thyroid cancer. It is one of several subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma, the most common thyroid cancer overall. Under the microscope, this tumor combines two features: the cells are arranged in small round structures called follicles (the same growth pattern seen in normal thyroid tissue …
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Oncocytic carcinoma of the thyroid gland is a rare type of thyroid cancer. It arises from follicular cells, the cells in the thyroid gland that normally produce thyroid hormone. The tumor is composed mostly of oncocytic cells, a type of cell that contains numerous energy-producing structures called mitochondria and has a distinctive bright pink appearance under the microscope. …
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In pathology, dedifferentiation describes a process where mature, specialized cells change back (revert) to a less specialized, more primitive form. This is commonly seen in cancer, where tumour cells that were initially more mature and less aggressive become less mature and more aggressive. When cells become dedifferentiated, they tend to grow more rapidly and lose …
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Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor that starts in the back of the nose and the nasopharynx, the area behind the nasal cavity where the nose connects to the throat. It is made up of many blood vessels mixed with fibrous supporting tissue, which is where its name comes from: “angio” refers to blood …
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