title: Histopathologic diagnosis of superficial soft tissue tumors, related lesions, and simulators: an algorithmic approach based on colors: tumors with predominance of pink.
abstract: An algorithmic approach based on colors for histopathologic diagnosis of soft tissue tumors and their simulators is proposed. At scanning magnification, in specimens stained with hematoxylin and eosin, mesenchymal tumors can be classified according to their color. The color of a tumor is basically determined by density, morphology, and distribution of neoplastic cells, and by density and quantity of the stroma. The basic colors that can be observed by neoplasms stained with hematoxylin and eosin are white, pink, red, and blue. Colors may be used as a first step in choosing the algorithm for specific diagnosis of a given mesenchymal neoplasm. Furthermore, colors may be helpful in understanding the histogenesis of a tumor, and this is especially important in soft tissue pathology, because criteria for benignancy and malignancy vary according to the nature of the neoplasm. In this article, tumors with a predominance of pink are analyzed. Pink tumors are composed of cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and sparse chromatin in their nuclei, such as leiomyoma. In other cases, the pink color in a tumor is determined by abundant fibrous stroma rather than by characteristics of neoplastic cells, such as sclerotic fibroma.
authors.affiliation: Center for Dermatopathology, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz-Cascajo
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003116:Color; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005350:Fibroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012598:Sclerosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling