Cautery artifact

Cautery artifact, also cautery/crush artifact and crush artifact, may mimic disease. It usually represents the surgical margin.

Microscopic

Features:

• Elongated thin toothpick-like nuclei.

DDx:

• Dysplasia - adenomatous polyps
• Electrocution.

Images

• 

  Surgical margin with cautery - low mag. (WC/Nephron)

• 

  Surgical margin with cautery - intermed. mag. (WC/Nephron)

• 

  Surgical margin with cautery - high mag. (WC/Nephron)

www:

• Cautery artifact (unibas.ch).

IHC

• Ki-67 - absent/minimal staining.
  • Stains adenomatous polyps.

Sign out

DESCENDING COLON, BIOPSY:
- COLONIC MUCOSA WITH EXTENSIVE CAUTERY/CRUSH ARTIFACT -- LIMITING INTERPRETATION.
- NO APPARENT DYSPLASIA.

POLYP, RECTUM, BIOPSY:
- POLYPOID FRAGMENT OF RECTAL MUCOSA WITH CAUTERY/CRUSH ARTIFACT, INDEFINITE 
  FOR DYSPLASIA.

COMMENT:
Levels were cut. A Ki-67 stain shows focal mid-level staining; however, the surface is
missing.

See also

• Basics.
• Surgical margin.