dysplasia
/dɪsˈpleɪzɪə
/noun [mass noun] Medicine
The enlargement of an organ or tissue by the proliferation of cells of an abnormal type, as a developmental disorder or an early stage in the development of cancer.A biopsy can also identify rare cases when cells have progressed from dysplasia into cancer....
- There was a mild patchy proliferation of duct epithelial cells, but no dysplasia.
- Although it is not a foregone conclusion that patients with dysplasia will develop cancer, dysplasia remains the best indicator of cancer risk.
Origin
1930s: from dys- 'bad' + Greek plasis 'formation'.