What is a bile duct hamartoma? A bile duct hamartoma, also known as a von Meyenburg complex, is a non-cancerous liver tumour made up of disorganized bile ducts. It is a common type of liver tumour seen in approximately 3-6% of the population. Some may appear before birth during the time in fetal development when …
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Medullary thyroid carcinoma is a rare type of thyroid cancer that starts from C cells (also called parafollicular cells). The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck. Most thyroid cancers begin in follicular cells, which make thyroid hormone. Medullary thyroid carcinoma differs because it arises from C cells, which produce a hormone …
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Melanoma in situ is an early, non-invasive form of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin. In healthy skin, melanocytes sit in a neat row at the bottom of the epidermis — the thin outer layer of the skin. In melanoma in situ, these cells have become cancerous and have grown in abnormal …
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In pathology, a tangentially sectioned tissue sample is one cut at an angle rather than straight across. When a sample is cut at an angle, the layers of tissue overlap in the thin slice placed on the microscope slide. This can make the sample difficult to interpret, and sometimes it prevents the pathologist from seeing …
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Atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) is a precancerous condition of the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. In AEH, the endometrium becomes abnormally thick and the glandular cells that make up the endometrium start to grow in a crowded and irregular pattern. The cells also look abnormal under the microscope, which is why the word …
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Ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. It starts from the cells that line the small tubes (ducts) inside the pancreas. These cells normally help carry digestive fluids made by the pancreas into the small intestine. In ductal adenocarcinoma, cells begin to grow abnormally and invade surrounding tissue. Over time, the cancer may spread …
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Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive type of breast cancer that starts in the lining of the breast ducts — the tiny tubes that carry milk from the glands to the nipple. Noninvasive means that all the abnormal cells are confined inside the ducts and have not broken through the duct wall into …
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A hemangioma is a non-cancerous tumour made up of an abnormal collection of blood vessels. These tumours often appear red to blue and typically have a well-defined border separating them from the surrounding normal tissue. Hemangiomas can occur anywhere on the body but are most commonly found on the skin, head, neck, and liver. The …
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A dermatofibroma, also called a benign fibrous histiocytoma, is a very common, noncancerous (benign) skin tumor. It develops in the dermis, the thick layer of connective tissue just below the skin’s surface, and usually appears as a small, firm bump that may feel hard to the touch. Dermatofibromas are most often found on the arms, …
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A frozen section is a test used in pathology to provide a quick diagnosis of a tissue sample during surgery. It is called a “frozen section” because the tissue is rapidly frozen soon after it is removed from the body. This technique allows pathologists to examine the tissue under a microscope to identify disease, often …
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