Biopsy and Pathology Flashcards
6 cards from real Mesothelioma Diagnosis practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Biopsy and Pathology flashcards as text
Which stain is used on routine pathology sections to first evaluate suspected mesothelioma?
Answer: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
H&E staining is the standard first-line histological stain used to assess tumor morphology and cell type in all biopsy specimens.
Which IHC marker is typically negative in mesothelioma but positive in metastatic breast carcinoma to the pleura?
Answer: GATA3
GATA3 is expressed in breast and urothelial carcinoma but is absent in mesothelioma, making it useful in distinguishing pleural metastases from primary mesothelioma.
D2-40 (podoplanin) IHC staining in mesothelioma primarily highlights which feature?
Answer: Lymphatic differentiation and mesothelial cells
D2-40 stains lymphatic endothelium and mesothelial cells, and its expression supports a mesothelial origin in pleural biopsies.
FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) for CDKN2A (p16) deletion is used in mesothelioma pathology to:
Answer: Distinguish malignant mesothelioma from benign mesothelial hyperplasia
Homozygous deletion of CDKN2A detected by FISH is a reliable molecular marker of malignancy in mesothelioma, distinguishing it from benign reactive proliferations.
In sarcomatoid mesothelioma, which IHC marker is most reliably positive?
Answer: Pancytokeratin
Pancytokeratin (AE1/AE3) staining is the most consistently positive marker in sarcomatoid mesothelioma, as calretinin and WT1 are often lost in this subtype.
What is the significance of the NF2 gene mutation in mesothelioma pathology?
Answer: It is one of the most common somatic mutations found in mesothelioma
NF2 (merlin) mutation is among the most frequently identified somatic mutations in malignant mesothelioma, found in approximately 40% of tumors.