Dysplasia

Dysplasia refers to cells that look or act differently from normal cells. The cells may be in your tissues and organs. The term comes from the Latin word dys, which means abnormal, and plasia, which means growth.

Many people who learn what the word means immediately think of cancer. But dysplasia isn’t cancer.

Sometimes, it’s a sign that cells may — not that they will — progress to cancer. In other situations, dysplasia means something completely different. This condition can also mean developmental disorders that are present at birth.

Your healthcare provider can explain what dysplasia means based on your case.

Types

In adults, dysplasia usually refers to precancerous cells. In children, dysplasia mostly refers to conditions present at birth that affect how body parts develop.

Dysplasia related to cancer

Dysplasia can describe conditions involving abnormal cells that may turn into cancer. The chance of this happening depends on how abnormal the cells are. Healthcare providers classify dysplasia as low grade or high grade. High-grade dysplasia is more likely to become cancer than low-grade dysplasia.

For instance, cervical dysplasia may progress to cervical cancer. But most are low-grade and don’t pose risks. Often, healthcare providers monitor or treat dysplasia to prevent cancer before it starts. 

Dysplasia can happen in any part of your body where cancer may form. So, kidney dysplasia can potentially become kidney cancer. Stomach dysplasia may become stomach cancer, and so on.

Myelodysplasia is the exception. Myelodysplasia happens when blood cells in bone marrow don’t mature normally. It can sometimes turn into blood cancer (leukemia). 

Dysplasia related to bone and organ growth

Sometimes, dysplasia means conditions that impact bone or organ development. They usually show up before birth, at birth or as a child grows.

They include:

• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A condition that causes preterm babies to be born with underdeveloped lungs
• Ectodermal dysplasia: More than 180 conditions that involve abnormal development of body parts like sweat glands, hair, teeth and nails
• Fibromuscular dysplasia: A rare condition that causes atypical development of your arteries
• Fibrous dysplasia: A condition where scar tissue replaces healthy bone tissue
• Hip dysplasia: A condition that prevents your hip bones from fitting in their joints correctly
• Skeletal dysplasia: Over 700 disorders that involve atypical bone development

Dysplasia causes

Dysplasia related to bone or organ development is often genetic. These conditions typically involve inheriting abnormal genes.

Cancer-related dysplasia often involves the same causes and risk factors linked to cancer, including:

• Atypical genes
• Cancer-causing substances in the environment
• Infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Past cancer treatments

Experts are still studying all the causes and risk factors related to dysplasia.

How doctors diagnose this condition

Tests used for diagnosis include:

• Imaging tests: CT scans, MRIs and X-rays can show signs of abnormal bone or organ development inside your body.
• Fluid tests: Urine and blood tests can detect substances in your body that signal issues with cells, tissues or organs.
• Genetic tests: These tests can find genes that may lead to developmental disorders or cancer.
• Biopsy: A biopsy can show abnormal cells that may transform into cancer. It helps providers know how low- or high-grade the dysplasia is.

How is it treated?

Treatment depends on your condition and how severe it is.

Sometimes, developmental dysplasias require surgery. Other times, you can manage a condition with medicine or devices like braces.

Treatments for cancer-related dysplasias may be as hands-off as “watch and wait.” Other times, you may need surgery.

For example, if you have low-grade cervical dysplasia that’s unlikely to become cancer, your provider may monitor those cells. They may remove them only if they keep changing and start to look less like normal cells. At this point, they may be more likely to become cancerous.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Be sure to visit your provider for routine cancer screenings. Abnormal cells don’t usually cause symptoms at first. But screenings can detect dysplasia before cancer forms.

What can I expect if I have dysplasia?

It all depends on your situation. Remember that dysplasia just means you have abnormal cells. Even if your biopsy results say that you have dysplasia, you may not have enough abnormal cells for concern. Or the cells may be low grade and unlikely to become cancer.

Other times, you may need treatment right away.

The outlook for developmental dysplasia also depends on the type. Most of these conditions require lifelong management.

If you learn you have some form of dysplasia, don’t hesitate to ask your provider what it means for your care.

How is dysplasia different from hyperplasia, metaplasia and neoplasia?

Keeping track of all the “plasias” can be confusing. These are terms that doctors use to describe the link between cell growth and disease.

Dysplasia refers to abnormal cell growth that may — or may not — turn cancerous. Here’s what the others mean:

• Hyperplasia: There are too many cells in one part of your body. The overgrowth may be harmless. But sometimes, it causes symptoms or leads to cancer.
• Metaplasia: One type of cell changes into another type of cell. This may be a normal process or a step before dysplasia.
• Neoplasia: Abnormal cells cluster together to form a tumor (neoplasm). Tumors can be benign or cancerous. The term “tumor” doesn’t necessarily mean cancer.

On their own, these words don’t tell you much about your health. This is why your healthcare provider is your best resource for explaining what they mean for you.