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Histopathology & Diagnostic Techniques Flashcards

7 cards from real HTL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which fixative is considered the gold standard for routine surgical pathology and immunohistochemistry?

    Answer: 10% neutral buffered formalin

    10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF) provides excellent morphological preservation and antigen retention, making it the standard fixative for most IHC applications.

  2. Frozen section diagnosis is most limited by which artifact?

    Answer: Ice crystal artifact distorting cellular detail

    Ice crystals form during freezing and cause vacuolization and disruption of cellular architecture, limiting cytological detail in frozen sections.

  3. A gastric biopsy shows replacement of normal gastric mucosa by intestinal-type epithelium with goblet cells. This change is called:

    Answer: Intestinal metaplasia

    Intestinal metaplasia is the replacement of gastric epithelium by intestinal-type epithelium, including goblet cells, and is a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma.

  4. In electron microscopy, which ultrastructural feature is pathognomonic for melanoma?

    Answer: Premelanosomes (melanosomes at various stages)

    Premelanosomes — melanosomes at stages I–IV of development — are the definitive ultrastructural marker of melanocytic differentiation in melanoma.

  5. The HER2/neu gene amplification status in breast carcinoma is most accurately assessed by which technique on tissue sections?

    Answer: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

    FISH directly visualizes gene copy number at the chromosomal level and is the gold-standard method for confirming HER2 amplification when IHC is equivocal.

  6. Which staining method is preferred to demonstrate basement membrane thickening in diabetic nephropathy?

    Answer: Jones methenamine silver (JMS) stain

    Jones methenamine silver stain highlights basement membranes black, making it ideal for demonstrating basement membrane thickening and the Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules of diabetic nephropathy.

  7. A skin biopsy shows epidermotropism of atypical lymphoid cells with hyperconvoluted (cerebriform) nuclei. What diagnosis does this suggest?

    Answer: Mycosis fungoides

    Mycosis fungoides is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by epidermotropic atypical lymphocytes with cerebriform nuclei, often forming Pautrier microabscesses.