hypocellularity
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A medical and biological term describing the condition or state of having an abnormally low number of cells in a tissue, organ, or bodily fluid compared to the normal, expected count.
Usage
This term is primarily used in medical, pathological, and laboratory contexts to describe diagnostic findings. It is the opposite of "hypercellularity." * The bone marrow biopsy revealed significant hypocellularity, explaining the patient's low blood counts. * Hypocellularity in the synovial fluid sample suggested a non-inflammatory arthritis.
Examples
- The pathologist's report noted hypocellularity in the examined lymph node tissue.
- A common cause of bone marrow hypocellularity is aplastic anemia.
- The hypocellularity observed under the microscope was consistent with the diagnosis of atrophy.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often quantified or qualified in detailed reports (e.g., "mild hypocellularity," "marked hypocellularity," "hypocellularity involving 30% of the sample").
- It can be used in a comparative sense: "The hypocellularity of the patient's bone marrow was striking when compared to the normal control."
Variants and Related Words
- Hypocellular (adjective): Describing a tissue or sample with few cells.
- The specimen was hypocellular and inadequate for diagnosis.
- Cellularity (noun): The state of having cells; the number and type of cells present.
- Hypercellularity (noun): The state of having abnormally many cells.
- Pancytopenia (noun): A medical condition often associated with bone marrow hypocellularity, characterized by low counts of all types of blood cells.
Synonyms
- Acellularity (though this can imply a complete absence of cells)
- Low cellularity
- Cell depletion
Antonyms
- Hypercellularity
- Cellularity (in a normal context)
Noun
- the state of having abnormally few cells