In pathology, extraparenchymal extension (EPE) refers to the invasion (spread) of a tumor beyond the main tissue mass (the parenchyma) of an organ into surrounding tissues. This term is often used in the context of malignant (cancerous) tumours to describe tumor growth extending beyond the organ’s boundary and into adjacent structures or tissues. Why is …
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What does parenchyma mean? In pathology, the term parenchyma refers to the tissue normally found within an organ. Specifically, it is made up of cells that carry out the specific function of the organ. As a result, the types of cells found in the parenchyma will depend on the organ being examined. For example, the …
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What is a mitotically active leiomyoma of the uterus? A mitotically active leiomyoma is a non-cancerous tumour that starts in the wall of the uterus. The tumour is made up of specialized smooth muscle cells that are normally found in a part of the uterus called the myometrium. What does “mitotically active” mean? Mitotically active …
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A cellular leiomyoma is a noncancerous tumour that develops in the muscular wall of the uterus, called the myometrium. Leiomyomas are composed of smooth muscle cells, which are the same type of cells that normally comprise the myometrium. The tumour is called cellular because it contains more muscle cells than the surrounding normal tissue. Cellular …
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Fat necrosis is a condition that happens when fat tissue in the body is damaged and the fat cells (adipose cells) die. The body responds by breaking down the dead cells and often replacing them with scar tissue. This process can result in firm, rounded, or irregular lumps in the affected area. These lumps may …
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Fibrinoid necrosis is a pattern of tissue damage (a type of necrosis) in which a bright pink, fibrin-like material builds up inside the wall of a blood vessel. It develops when the wall of a blood vessel is badly injured, allowing proteins from the blood to leak into and replace the normal wall. The name …
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What is MDM2? MDM2 is a gene that promotes cell division (the creation of new cells). Normal cells and those in non-cancerous tumours have two copies of the MDM2 gene. In contrast, cancerous tumours such as atypical lipomatous tumour/well differentiated liposarcoma have more than two copies of the MDM2 gene. How do pathologists test for …
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Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, is an aggressive type of brain tumor that develops from glial cells, the supporting cells of the central nervous system. It belongs to a larger group of tumors called diffuse gliomas. Diffuse gliomas are infiltrative, which means the tumor cells spread into the normal brain tissue around them and cannot be fully separated …
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An intraductal papilloma is a non-cancerous (benign) tumor that develops inside one of the small milk ducts in the breast. The word intraductal means “inside the duct,” and the word papilloma refers to the small finger-like projections (called papillae) that form within the duct. Milk ducts are tiny channels that carry milk from the glands …
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Atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) is a non-cancerous (benign) change in the breast that starts from the cells lining the small tubes called ducts. Although it is not cancer, ADH is considered a precancerous condition because having it is associated with an increased chance of developing breast cancer in the future. Compared with someone without ADH, …
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