Dermatopathology dictionary

Question 1

Loss of cohesion between epidermal or adnexal keratinocytes

Answer 1

Acantholysis

Question 2

Increase in the thickness of the stratum malpighii

Answer 2

Acanthosis

Question 3

Atypical appearance of nuclei as is found in malignant neoplasia.

Answer 3

Anaplasia

Anaplastic nuclei are usually large, irregular and hyperchromatic.

Question 4

Cytoplasmic swelling of epidermal cells with loss of intercellular bridges as seen in viral vesicles.

Answer 4

Ballooning degeneration

Question 5

The property of appearing bright white in a dark field when examined with polarized light. Collagen, hair and silica are some of the more common birefringent materials.

Answer 5

Birefringence

Question 6

A cavity of at least 5 mm in diameter forming within or below the epidermis.

Answer 6

Bulla

Question 7

Identical to coagulation necrosis and ischemic necrosis. The affected tissue has lost its structural outline and appears as pale eosinophilic, amorphous and finely granular. Until the necrosis is far advanced some shrunken or fragmented nuclei are present.

Answer 7

Caseation necrosis

Question 8

Coagulative necrosis

Answer 8

Necrosis associated with the formation of pus.

Question 9

Acantholytic, dyskeratotic, basophilic cells. Corps ronds have round nuclei with a perinuclear halo. Grains have an elongeated “grain shaped” nucleus. These cells are seen in Darier’s, Grover’s and warty dyskeratoma.

Answer 9

Corps grains, corps ronds

Question 10

Apocrine secretion where part of the apocrine cell “pinches off” and is released into the lumen of the gland.

Answer 10

Decapitation secretion

Question 11

Faulty and premature keratinization of individual keratinocytes. Dyskeratotic cells are usually intensely eosinophilic and may contain a small, dense, basophilic nuclear remnant. Dyskeratotic cells may also be densely basophilic as seen in Darier’s disease.

Answer 11

Dyskeratosis

Question 12

a thin column of closely stacked, parakeratotic cells extending through the stratum corneum with a thin or absent granular layer.

Answer 12

Cornoid lamellae or porokeratosis

Question 13

Melanocytic nests anastamosing between rete ridges

Answer 13

“Dysplastic Nevus” Terminology:

Bridging

Question 14

Condensed collagen around elongated rete

Answer 14

“Dysplastic Nevus” Terminology:

Eosinophilic fibroplasia

Question 15

Elongation of rete ridges with increased single and nested nevus cells in the basal layer

Answer 15

“Dysplastic Nevus” Terminology:

Lentiginous proliferation

Question 16

Juntional component extending far beyound dermal component

Answer 16

“Dysplastic Nevus” Terminology:

Shouldering

Question 17

Plates of lamellar collagen and fibroblast-like cells extend between elongated rete

Answer 17

“Dysplastic Nevus” Terminology:

Lamellar fibroplasia

Question 18

It is characterized by (1)perinuclear clear spaces in the upper stratum malpighii (2) indistinct cellular boundaries (3) a markedly thickened granular layer with increased numbers of keratohyalin granules and (4) hyperkeratosis.

Answer 18

Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis -also called granular degeneration.

Question 19

Presence of mononuclear cell in the epidermis without spongiosis occurring in mycosis fungoides.

Answer 19

Epidermotropism

Question 20

Cells derived from macrophages, seen in granulomas and characterized by a large usually oval, pale, vesicular nucleus with a clearly visible nuclear membrane. The cytoplasm is abundant, ill-defined and slightly eosinophilic.

Answer 20

Epithelioid cells

Question 21

An area where the epidermis is lost without dermal loss.

Answer 21

Erosion

Question 22

Normal lymphocytes in the epidermis with spongiosis.

Answer 22

Exocytosis

Question 23

A lipid-laden macrophage.

Answer 23

Foam cell

Question 24

Large multinucleated cells. Epidermal multinucleated giant cells are characteristic of herpes virus infections

Answer 24

Giant cell

Foreign-body giant cells have a haphazard nuclear arrangement.

Question 25

Histiocytic giant cells whose nuclei form a horseshoe arrangement

Answer 25

Langhans type giant cells

Question 26

a ring of nuclei surrounding foamy cytoplasm with cytoplasm usually also visible around the nuclei.

Answer 26

Touton type giant cells

Question 27

Newly formed dermis arising in healing wounds and characterized by numerous fibroblasts and new capillaries and an infiltrate consisting of lymphoid cells, macrophages, and plasma cells.

Answer 27

Granulation tissue

Question 28

A chronic proliferative lesion consisting of mononuclear cells and epithelioid cells or multinucleated giant cells or both. These cells lie in groups are often surrounded by lymphoid cells.

Answer 28

Granuloma “Naked” granulomas have few to none of these surrounding lymphoid cells.

Question 29

A narrow area of uninvolved dermis between the epidermis and a dermal inflammatory or neoplastic infiltrate.

Answer 29

Grenz zone

Question 30

Homogenous eosinophilic material that is PAS-positive and diastase resistant and has glycoprotein as a major component.

Answer 30

Hyalin

Question 31

Extension of single rows of cells between and around collagen bundles.

Answer 31

Indian filing

Question 32

The deeply basophilic, irregularly shaped granules in the stratum granulosum. These form the interfibrillary matrix which cements keratin fibrils, and the marginal band of the horny cells.

Answer 32

Keratohyalin

Question 33

A slit-like intraepidermal vesicle or bulla as is seen in Darier’s disease.

Answer 33

Lacuna

Question 34

Disintegration of leukocytes (primarily pmn’s) resulting in nuclear dust as seen in leukocytoclastic vasculitis

Answer 34

Leukocytoclasia

Question 35

Vacuolar change and interface inflammation

Answer 35

Lichenoid Tissue reaction

Question 36

Band-like lymphs hugging the DEJ

Answer 36

Lichenoid Inflammation

Question 37

Findings associated with lichenoid tissue reactions: Dropping off of necrotic keratinocytes from the epidermis into the dermis. Apoptosis typically occurs in disorders in which basal cell damage occurs, such as lichenoid tissue reactions.

Answer 37

Apoptosis

Question 38

Findings associated with lichenoid tissue reactions: Eosinophilic, round homogeneous structures seen in the epidermis or upper dermis. They form through degeneration of epidermal cells and are most commonly seen in lichenoid tissue reactions.

Answer 38

Civatte or colloid body

Question 39

Findings associated with lichenoid tissue reactions: | This process may lead to pigment incontinence or subepidermal cleft formation.

Answer 39

Vacuolar change of basal cells-also called hydropic degeneration

Question 40

Findings associated with lichenoid tissue reactions: Replacement of the normally cuboidal or columnar basal cells with polygonal or flattened keratinocytes. This occurs mainly in lichenoid tissue reactions.

Answer 40

Squamotization

Question 41

A macrophage that has ingested melanin.

Answer 41

Melanophage

Question 42

The phenomenon of reacting with a different color from that of the dye used in staining. For example amyloid shows reddish metachromasia when stained with crystal violet.

Answer 42

Metachromasia

Question 43

The change of one type of tissue to another, such as metaplastic ossification seen in certain cutaneous tumors.

Answer 43

Metaplasia

Question 44

Small collection of inflammatory cells.

Answer 44

Microabscess

Question 45

Are composed of degenerated pmn’s in the horny layer and are seen in psoriasis and seb derm.

Answer 45

Munro microabcesses

Question 46

Are multilocular pustules in the upper stratum malpighii within a spongelike network made up of flattened keratinocytes. They are seen in psoriasis, Reiter’s disease, geographic tongue and in candidiasis.

Answer 46

Spongiform pustules of Kagoj

Question 47

Are a collection of 3 or more atypical monomuclear cells within the epidermic in mycosis fungoides.

Answer 47

Pautrier microabscesses

Question 48

Altered collagen that loses its normal eosinophilic coloration and fibrillar appearance, becoming slightly bluish and “smudged”

Answer 48

Necrobiosis

Question 49

Fragmented nuclei scattered in the dermis, predominantly around blood vessels. Seen in vasculitis.

Answer 49

Nuclear dust

Question 50

Upward proliferation of epidermis and subepidermal papillae causing the surface epidermis to show irregular undulation.

Answer 50

Papillomatosis

Question 51

Atypical cells scattered upward through the epidermis seen primarily in Paget’s disease, melanoma, sebaceous carcinoma and Bowen’s disease.

Answer 51

Pagetoid

Question 52

Retention of nuclei in the stratum corneum. This is a normal finding on mucous membranes.

Answer 52

Parakeratosis

Question 53

Deposition of melanin in the dermis, which when not in association with a pigmented lesion implies prior basal layer damage

Answer 53

Pigment incontinence

Question 54

Variation in the appearance of the nuclei of the same cell type. If pronounced and associated with large, irregular, hyperchromatic nuclei it is termed anaplasia and is often an indication of malignancy.

Answer 54

Pleomorphism

Question 55

Variation in the types of cells, particularly used in terms of inflammatory infiltrates.

Answer 55

Polymorphism

Question 56

Extreme irregular acanthosis with downward epidermal proliferation which may simulate a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

Answer 56

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia

Question 57

Intraepidermal keratin-filled space which due to the plane of sectioning resembles a cyst, but actually represents and epidermal invagination.

Answer 57

Pseudohorn cyst

Question 58

Condensation of nuclear chromatin producing a dense, shrunken appearing nucleus.

Answer 58

Pyknosis

Question 59

A process in which severe intracellular edema results in bursting of keratinocytes and formation of multilocular bullae formed by remaining cell walls. It is seen in acute dermatitis and in viral blisters.

Answer 59

Reticular degeneration

Question 60

Intercellular epidermal edema, seen as an increase in the width of spaces between keratinocytes

Answer 60

Spongiosis

Question 61

A pattern of cellular arrangement which is seen in certain fibrous tumors when the elongated cells intersect or intertwine at various angles so as to resemble the weaving of a doormat.

Answer 61

Storiform

Question 62

An area where epidermis and part of the dermis is missing.

Answer 62

Ulcer

Question 63

A small bulla, generally less than 5 mm.

Answer 63

Vesicle

Question 64

A dermal papilla extending into a bulla, vesicle, or lacuna which is covered with a single layer of epidermal cells resulting from suprabasalar acantholysis.

Answer 64

Villus