Periodic acid Schiff (also known as PAS) is a special stain test performed by pathologists to look for two types of chemicals in a tissue sample: a type of sugar called glycogen, and a type of protein called mucin. Pathologists often perform a PAS stain when they are trying to determine if the cells in …
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Grocott (also known as GMS) is a special stain test performed by pathologists to look for fungal microorganisms in a tissue sample. The most commonly identified fungal microorganisms are Candida and Pneumocystis. GMS may also be used to look for some types of bacteria, such as Actinomyces and Nocardia. When a GMS-stained slide is examined …
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What is mucicarmine? Mucicarmine is a special stain test (using a colouring stain) performed by pathologists to look for a type of protein called mucin. Mucin is made by specialized epithelial cells and it helps protect cells from damage. Mucin-producing cells are very common in the digestive tract (notably the colon) and the respiratory tract …
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Edema is a buildup of clear, watery fluid inside a tissue. It happens when fluid from the blood leaks out of small blood vessels and collects in the tissue around them. When a tissue contains this extra fluid, pathologists may describe it as edematous. Edema is a description of something the pathologist saw, not a …
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Malignant neoplasm is a medical term for a cancerous tumour. It is a general term that includes many different types of cancer. These tumours can start anywhere in the body, and their specific type depends on the kinds of cells found inside them. Some common examples of malignant neoplasms include carcinomas, sarcomas, melanoma, and lymphomas. …
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A benign neoplasm is a medical term used to describe a non-cancerous tumor. The word “neoplasm” means a new growth of cells, and “benign” indicates that this growth is not cancerous. Benign neoplasms can develop in any part of the body, and their specific characteristics depend on the type of cells they contain. Unlike cancerous …
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Isolated tumour cells (sometimes shortened to ITCs) are tiny clusters of cancer cells found in a lymph node. These cells have spread from a cancer located somewhere else in the body, a process called metastasis. To be classified as isolated tumour cells, the cluster must be very small—either fewer than 200 cancer cells or smaller …
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A sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node or group of lymph nodes that cancer cells are most likely to reach if they begin to spread from the primary tumour. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are part of the lymphatic system, a network that helps the body fight infections and remove waste. …
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GATA3 (GATA binding protein 3) is a protein found in the nucleus of specific cells. It plays a crucial role in regulating how these cells grow and develop by controlling the activity of specific genes. GATA3 is especially important in the normal development of breast tissue, the urinary tract (urothelium), and certain immune cells. What …
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An abscess is a localized collection of pus — a thick fluid made up of dead cells, debris, and immune cells — that builds up inside body tissue. It forms when the body’s immune system mounts a strong response to an injury, infection, or other source of irritation, and the responding cells accumulate faster than …
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