Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) is a microangiopathic subgroup of hemolytic anemia caused by factors in the small blood vessels. It is identified by the finding of anemia and schistocytes on microscopy of the blood film.
Dactylitis or sausage digit is inflammation of an entire digit, and can be painful.
Endometrioid tumors are a class of tumors that arise in the uterus or ovaries that resemble endometrial glands on histology. They account for 80% of endometrial carcinomas and 20% of malignant ovarian tumors.
Fibrinoid necrosis is a specific pattern of irreversible, uncontrolled cell death that occurs when antigen-antibody complexes are deposited in the walls of blood vessels along with fibrin. It is common in the immune-mediated vasculitides which are a result of type III hypersensitivity. When stained with hematoxylin and eosin, they appear brightly eosinophilic and smudged.
A fatty streak is the first grossly visible lesion in the development of atherosclerosis. It appears as an irregular yellow-white discoloration on the luminal surface of an artery. It consists of aggregates of foam cells, which are lipoprotein-loaded macrophages, located in the intima, the innermost layer of the artery, beneath the endothelial cells that layer the lumina through which blood flows. Fatty streaks may also include T cells, aggregated platelets, and smooth muscle cells. Although fatty streaks can develop into atheromas, not all are destined to become advanced lesions.
A leiomyosarcoma, also known as LMS, is a rare malignant (cancerous) smooth muscle tumor. The origin of the word is from leio- + myo- + sarcoma which means malignant smooth muscle tumor. The stomach, bladder, uterus, blood vessels, and intestines are examples of hollow organs made up of smooth muscles where LMS can be located, however the uterus or abdomen are the most common sites.
Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are secreted glycoproteins that bind to receptor proteins on the surfaces of committed progenitors in the bone marrow, thereby activating intracellular signaling pathways that can cause the cells to proliferate and differentiate into a specific kind of blood cell.
Langhans giant cells (LGC) are giant cells found in granulomatous conditions.
In pathology, Anitschkowcells are often cells associated with rheumatic heart disease. Anitschkow cells are enlarged macrophages found within granulomas associated with the disease.
Acantholysis is the loss of intercellular connections, such as desmosomes, resulting in loss of cohesion between keratinocytes, seen in diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris. It is absent in bullous pemphigoid, making it useful for differential diagnosis.
Sulfatidosis is a form of lysosomal storage disease resulting in a proliferation of sulfatide.
Fat necrosis is a form of necrosis that is caused by the action of lipases on adipocytes.
Papillomatosis of skin is skin surface elevation caused by hyperplasia and enlargement of contiguous dermal papillae. These papillary projections of the epidermis form an undulating surface under microscopic examination.
Spongiosis is mainly intercellular edema in the epidermis, and is characteristic of eczematous dermatitis, manifested clinically by intraepidermal vesicles, "juicy" papules, and/or lichenification. It is a severe case of eczema that affects the epidermis, dermis or subcutaneous skin tissues. The three types of spongiotic dermatitis are acute, subacute and chronic. A dermatologist can diagnose acute spongiotic dermatitis by examining the skin during an office visit, but a biopsy is needed for an accurate diagnosis of the type.
Hydropic swelling is intracellular edema of keratinocytes, often seen with viral infections.
Exocytosis is infiltration of the epidermis by inflammatory or circulating blood cells.
Respiratory bronchiolitis is a lung disease associated with tobacco smoking. In pathology, it is defined by the presence of "smoker's macrophages". When manifesting significant clinical symptoms it is referred to as respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD).
Nonthrombocytopenic purpura is a type of purpura not associated with thrombocytopenia.
Elliptocytes, also known as ovalocytes or cigar cells, are abnormally shaped red blood cells that appear oval or elongated, from slightly egg-shaped to rod or pencil forms. They have normal central pallor with the hemoglobin appearing concentrated at the ends of the elongated cells when viewed through a light microscope. The ends of the cells are blunt and not sharp like sickle cells.
Abul K. Abbas is an American pathologist at University of California San Francisco where he is Distinguished Professor in Pathology and former chair of its Department of Pathology. He is senior editor of the pathology reference book Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease along with Vinay Kumar, as well as Basic Immunology, and Cellular & Molecular Immunology. He was editor for Immunity from 1993 to 1996, and continues to serve as a member of the editorial board. He was one of the inaugural co-editors of the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease for issues from 2006 to 2020. He has published nearly 200 scientific papers.
