Anaplasia vs Dysplasia: Difference and Comparison

Multitude -plasia words in the medical field have different meanings. In that case, anaplasia and dysplasia are abhorrent. Originally, plasia is a suffix used in Anaplasia, Dysplasia, metaplasia, and Hyperplasia, which denotes the growth and accumulation function of cells.

Cellular adaptation is the changes that occur due to a cell, which is conducive to adverse or varying environmental changes. 

Key Takeaways

1. Anaplasia is a severe loss of cell differentiation, associated with aggressive and malignant tumors.
2. Dysplasia is an abnormal growth and disorganization of cells within a tissue, considered a pre-cancerous condition.
3. Both conditions can indicate increased cancer risk, but anaplasia is a more aggressive change, while dysplasia may be reversible.

Anaplasia vs Dysplasia

Anaplasia is concerned with aberrant cell growth; it is the loss of differentiation within a group of cells of a cell and is seen as an irreversible condition. Dysplasia is the abnormal development of cells within a tissue or an organ or a precancerous cell, it is less pathological and is reversible.

Anaplasia is a Greek word meaning Formation. It is a condition of cells with poor cellular differentiation, losing the morphological characteristics of mature cells and their orientation concerning each other and endothelial cells.

Additionally, it is called cancer cells that divide rapidly and have little or no resemblance to normal cells.

On the contrary, Dysplasia is the abnormal development of cells, in the tissues or organs, with a wide range of conditions that could involve enlarged tissue or pre-cancerous cells.

However, they are not the same as cancer cells but depend on the abnormality of the cells. Dysplasias microscopically include epithelial dysplasia and fibrous dysplasia of bone. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Anaplasia	Dysplasia
Meaning	Anaplasia is a poor cellular differentiation condition when they lose the morphological characteristics of mature cells. Moreover, these cells are inert as a part of tissues in the body.	Dysplasia is the aberrant development of cells when the mature cells lose their morphological features in a tissue or body.
Etymology	According to the Greek words, “Ana” means ‘Backward’ and ‘Plasis’, known as “formation”.	“Dys” is termed as ‘bad’ and ‘plasis’ in Greek, which means “Formation” but abnormally.
Features	Anaplasia has cytologic features of cells, which have the characteristics of malignant neoplasms. Furthermore, it shows pleomorphism, an intense ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic cell, Hyperchromatic nuclei, aberrant nuclear contours, loss of normal polarity and prominent nucleoli.	Dysplasia has aberrant epithelial, loss of normal stratification and polarity. Premature keratinization in dyskeratosis, formation of hyperplasia and anaplasia and mitoses in the upper and mid epithelium. Furthermore, Dysplasia has Leukoplakia, Erythroplakia, and Erythroleukoplakia.
Cause	Anaplasia is caused only by the group of Morphological cells that shows any changes in mature cells.	Dysplasia is caused because of the loss of morphological characteristics in the mature cells of a tissue or body.
Symptoms	Anaplasia has the symptoms of fatigue, fever, weight loss, enervate and loss of appetite.	Dysplasia seems like when you have pain in the hips, unequal leg lengths and when your thigh bone doesn’t fit well with the pelvis.

What is Anaplasia?

The differentiation loss within a cell or group of cells in a structural form is a condition called Anaplasia. This word refers to the poor condition of a cell that affects cellular adaptation, with no characteristic features of a unique tissue type.

In Greek, it is meant as “Formation”, which reverts the cell into its previous stage, like a stem cell. This type of reversion relates to cancer cells, as the cell will no longer operate as a part of the tissue surrounding it. 

Over and above, Anaplasia cells have distinct features that are malignant neoplasms, such as pleomorphism, abnormal nuclear morphology, Mitoses, Loss of polarity, and tumour-generating characteristics.

As aforementioned, when Anaplasia cells develop mitosis, they produce cells that would lead to malignant tumours. 

For instance, anaplasia might cause inimical as well as mild cancers, including deadly Leiomyosarcoma and a benign tumour-like Leiomyoma. Besides, anaplasia and neoplasia are identical, but anaplasia outlines the borderline between neoplasia and dysplasia conditions. 

What is Dysplasia?

The formation of abnormal development cells in the body is known as Dysplasia. On the other hand, it is the evolution of microscopic cells, macroscopic organs, and abnormal histology.

It occurs in children’s development stages, like hip dysplasia, skeletal dysplasia, and ectodermal dysplasia. In contrast, it affects adults through the development of abnormal cells in the cervix and hip parts. 

The terms originated from the Greek language, meaning “Bad formation”. Having that said, dysplasia cells could be either small or large lesions, depending upon the size and location of the cell.

Additionally, it features epithelial stratification, loss of normal layer pattern and polarity, Leukoplakia, Erythroplakia, and Erythroleukoplakia. 

By giving an illustration, Dysplasia is observed on a diminutive as well as on an immense measure, such as on a microscopic scale, epithelial dysplasia and fibrous dysplasia of bone are included.

Meanwhile, on a macroscopic scale, it covers hip dysplasia, myelodysplastic syndrome, multicystic dysplastic kidney, and more.

Main Differences Between Anaplasia and Dysplasia

1. Anaplasia is a poor cellular differentiation condition, whereas Dysplasia is the abnormal formation or development of cells. 
2. Anaplasia occurs when there are any changes that happen in the morphological characteristics of mature cells and operate with no movement as part of tissues in the body. Meanwhile, dysplasia is caused when there is a loss of morphological characteristics of mature cells in the tissues or in the body.
3. Anaplasia is known as “formation”, but dysplasia is called a “bad formation” in Greek words.
4. Anaplasia featured the characteristics of malignant neoplasms such as pleomorphism, an intense ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic cells, Hyperchromatic nuclei, aberrant nuclear contours, loss of normal polarity and prominent nucleoli. Dysplasia has Leukoplakia, Erythroplakia, irregular epithelial, abate of normal stratification and difference happen in the tissue, Erythroleukoplakia etc. 
5. Anaplasia is known when you face sluggishness, fever, cold, loss of appetite and weight. On the other hand, Dysplasia is encountered when you feel pain in the hip, thigh bone that doesn’t fit the pelvis and unequal leg size.

References

1. https://journals.lww.com/ajsp/Fulltext/2010/02000/Role_of_p53_Immunohistochemistry_in.2.aspx
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347663802334

Last Updated : 16 July, 2023