Pleomorphism (cytology)

Pleomorphism is a term used in histology and cytopathology to describe variability in the size, shape and staining of cells and/or their nuclei.

Several key determinants of cell and nuclear size, like ploidy and the regulation of cellular metabolism, are commonly disrupted in tumors.

[1] Therefore, cellular and nuclear pleomorphism is one of the earliest hallmarks of cancer progression and a feature characteristic of malignant neoplasms and dysplasia.

[4] Despite the prevalence of pleomorphism in human pathology, its role in disease progression is unclear.

In epithelial tissue, pleomorphism in cellular size can induce packing defects and disperse aberrant cells.