HistoPath - Advanced Flashcards
What is a teratoma
A type of germ cell tumour that can arise from all 3 of the germinal layers:
Endoderm
Mesoderm
Ectoderm
May occur from germ cells left behind during embryonic migration from the posterior dorsal ridges
Can contain any type of tissue e.g. skin, hair, nails, bone, teeth, muscle
Can be mature or immature
Where are teratomas usually found
Teratomas may be found outside the gonads, usually in the middle of the body: pineal, base of the skull, mediastinum, retroperitoneum and sacro-coccygeal area
More common in the ovary than testis
What is a mature cystic teratoma
Cyst with fully developed tissue
Usually appears in children (benign)
Often malignant in adults
What is a immature teratoma
Undifferentiated tissue that resembles embryonic tissues
Usually in adults
Usually metastasises quickly
What is grading of malignant immature teratomas based on
Amount of immature neural tissue (Number of foci per high power field per slide)
What are the features of neuroendocrine tumours on microscopy
Granules seen
Markers:
- Chromogranin
- Synaptophysin
- CD56
Where can neuroendocrine tumours be found
Foregut
Thymus
Oesophagus
Lung
Stomach
Duodenum
Pancreas
Midgut
Appendix
Ileum
Caecum
Ascending colon
Hindgut
Distal bowel
Rectum
What are the treatment options for well-differentiated vs poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumours
Well-differentiated: observation, somatostatin analogues, radionuclide therapy
Poorly: chmotherapy
+ everolimus, sunitinib, alpha-interferon
What does staging depend on for neuroendocrine tumours
Site of tumour
Give examples of hypersecretory tumours and what they produce
Zollinger-Ellison - Gastrin (stimulates acid release from the parietal cells)
Carcinoid - Serotonin
Hypoglycaemia - insulin
