Page 27 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026 VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026
A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

Stars, Sugar

and Sea Gods

Fascinating Names

in Oncopathology
Dr Munmun Harlalka
Consultant, Pathologist
Barpeta Cancer Centre

A case-based journey through the uterus, replacing the endometrium with
oncopathology’s most memorable dysplastic squamous epithelium and producing
names. the characteristic “Zuckerguss” pattern. Tumour
athology is rich in colourful terminology cells were positive for Pax8 and p16, while ER and
that turns microscopic observations into PR were negative.
Pmemorable imagery. From a “starry sky”
and a “sugar-iced” tumour to a neoplasm named
after a mythological sea god, these evocative
descriptors aid recognition of rare entities and
complex morphological patterns. Presented here
are four cases from our practice that reveal the
stories behind some of oncopathology’s most
intriguing names.
Gross photograph Low power view
Case 1: Zuckerguss carcinoma — the
sugar-iced malignancy

Zuckerguss, German for “sugar icing”, describes
an uncommon growth pattern of cervical
adenocarcinoma marked by extensive superficial
mucosal spread with minimal stromal invasion.
A total abdominal hysterectomy specimen
from a 60-year-old woman showed a cystically
distended uterine cavity lined by irregular grey-
white mucosa with friable growths extending into p16 block positivity
the endocervical canal. Histology revealed a well-
differentiated HPV-associated adenocarcinoma Case 2: Burkitt lymphoma — the starry
involving the cervix, lower uterine segment and sky of haematopathology
endometrium, with stromal invasion under 2mm. The classic “starry sky” appearance of Burkitt
The background cervix showed a high-grade lymphoma comes from numerous tingible-body
squamous intraepithelial lesion extending into macrophages, the “stars”, scattered among

26 Every challenge carries the seed of tomorrow’s strength. 27