Criteria for Malignancy Flashcards
Nucleus
Benign: Round, even nuclear membrane
Malignant: Irregular nuclear membrane, may have bizarre nuclear shape
Multinuclearity
Benign: If multinuclear, even nuclear size
Malignant: Multinuclearity with uneven nuclear size
Nuclear Chromatin
Benign: Even texture
Malignant: Uneven texture
Nucleus Integrity
Benign: Intact Nucleus
Malignant: May have nuclear disintegration, clefting, and blebbing
Nucleoli
Benign: Small if present
Malignant: May be large and angulated
N:C ratio
Benign: Moderate to small,
Mitoses
Benign: Circumscribed and regular
Malignant: Abundant and abnormal with excess chromatin material and wandering c’somes or micronucleus formations
Nuclear Molding
Benign: Seen only by phagocytosis of one cell by another
Malignant: Indentation of nucleus by another nucleus is found
Cell Size
Benign: Occasional large cell
Malignant: Many large cells
Cell Clusters
Benign: Clustered cells appear to have come together forming a “window” between them
Malignant: Clusters appear to have grown together, may have darkened border
Cytoplasm Appearance
Benign: Uniform
Malignant: Non-uniform with a ballooning appearance
Vacuolation
Benign: Large, irregular, or small and at cell periphery
Malignant: Vacuoles are small and regular, may be over nucleus
Signet Ring Cells
Benign: Occur singly in mixed clusters, and in the presence of other activated macrophages
Malignant: Occur in tight clusters with minimal numbers of activated macrophages
Cytoplasmic Color
Benign: May be basophilic, a perinuclear halo (Golgi) can be seen
Malignant: May be basophilic with deep color up to nuclear edge
Cellular Infiltrate
Benign: heterogeneous
Malignant: May be heterogeneous
