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
Cytological analysis of pleural fluid in mesothelioma has which major limitation?
Answer: Low sensitivity and inability to subtype the tumor
Pleural fluid cytology has low sensitivity (around 32%) for mesothelioma and cannot reliably subtype the tumor, making tissue biopsy necessary.
Which characteristic morphological feature differentiates epithelioid mesothelioma from reactive mesothelial hyperplasia on histology?
Answer: Stromal invasion
Stromal invasion is the definitive histological feature of malignancy; reactive mesothelial cells may appear atypical but do not invade underlying stroma.
Electron microscopy in mesothelioma diagnosis is used to identify which ultrastructural feature?
Answer: Long, slender microvilli on tumor cell surface
Mesothelioma cells characteristically show long, slender microvilli on electron microscopy, in contrast to the short, stubby microvilli of adenocarcinoma.
Which combination of IHC markers is commonly used as a positive panel for epithelioid mesothelioma?
Answer: Calretinin, WT1, CK5/6, D2-40
Calretinin, WT1, CK5/6, and D2-40 form a standard positive mesothelial IHC panel used to support a diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma.
Why is pleural biopsy via Abrams needle less preferred than VATS for mesothelioma diagnosis?
Answer: It provides smaller, less representative samples with lower diagnostic yield
Blind Abrams needle biopsy has a lower diagnostic yield (~20–40%) compared to VATS, which allows directed biopsies of visible tumor areas.
Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) loss on IHC in mesothelioma is a surrogate marker for which genetic alteration?
Answer: CDKN2A (p16) homozygous deletion
MTAP gene is co-deleted with CDKN2A on chromosome 9p21; MTAP IHC loss is a convenient surrogate for CDKN2A homozygous deletion.