Primitive-appearing

[bioguy]

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Can someone please explain what exactly "primitive-appearing" means when it is used to describe cells in histopathology?

 

[yaah]

It means they look immature, primordial, that kind of thing. Like some pediatric tumors. Blastema.

 

[pathstudent]

It means they look immature.

I prefer to think of them as childish.

 

[djmd]

I prefer to think of them as childish.

I don't know... primative appearing sounds pretty good too...

These cells are simple hunter gathers with limited tool use..

 

[bioguy]

It means they look immature, primordial, that kind of thing. Like some pediatric tumors. Blastema.

yaah, thanks for replying. It is not the concept of "primitive" I am having trouble with; it is the morphology of "primitive". How would the nucleus/cytoplasm appear if the cell is primitive. How would I recognize a primitive cell?

DJMD, don't tell me the cells will be waving their spiny clubs at me

 

[The right Path]

Primitive = poorly differentiated?

 

[Freak]

Primitive = poorly differentiated?

That would seem to be right ... I mean it makes sense if you think in terms of hematopoetic potential (ie. large nucleus, fewer granules => more primitive or less differentiated).

My guess is that it would mean less eosinophilic cytoplasm, a round-shape, non-descript (no villi, other structures) and mitotic figures (basically stem-like); but it probably depends on the context (ie. what would have the progenitor cell-states looked like).

 

[malchik]

In surgical pathology parlance, "poorly differentiated" is not quite the same as "primitive." The former usually refers to anaplasia, or loss of differentiation as a tumor progresses to a higher grade. There is a loss of recognizable architecture (ie glandular, squamous, etc.) and large, irregular, sometimes bizarre nuclei with severe aneuploidy. "Primitive" usually implies an embryonic appearance as in small round blue cell tumors (Ewings, Wilms, neuroblastoma, etc.), which have, well, small, round, blue cells.

 

[djmd]

In surgical pathology parlance, "poorly differentiated" is not quite the same as "primitive." The former usually refers to anaplasia, or loss of differentiation as a tumor progresses to a higher grade. There is a loss of recognizable architecture (ie glandular, squamous, etc.) and large, irregular, sometimes bizarre nuclei with severe aneuploidy. "Primitive" usually implies an embryonic appearance as in small round blue cell tumors (Ewings, Wilms, neuroblastoma, etc.), which have, well, small, round, blue cells.

I second (or third really because Yaah said it too) this interpretation...

If someone was talking about primitive, I would equate that with immature, fetal, embryonic type cells...


I don't think that term is used in hemepath... but it would mean blastic appearing.