Sharon Weiss
Encyclopedia
Sharon Whelan Weiss, M.D., is an American physician who is best known for her contribution to the subspecialty of soft tissue pathology
. She is the main author of Soft Tissue Tumors, one of the most widely used textbooks in the field of sarcoma
and soft tissue pathology. Dr. Weiss is also well known for her seminal descriptions of multiple soft tissue
tumor
s, such as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
, pleomorphic
hyalinizing
angiectatic tumor of soft parts ("PHAT"), inflammatory myxohyaline tumor of distal extremities with virocyte and Reed-Sternberg-like cells
, and epithelioid sarcoma
-like hemangioendothelioma, among others. She is also noted for mentoring and training other well-known soft tissue pathologists.
Soft tissue pathology
Soft tissue pathology is the subspecialty of surgical pathology which deals with the diagnosis and characterization of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the soft tissues, such as muscle, adipose tissue, tendons, fascia, and connective tissues...
. She is the main author of Soft Tissue Tumors, one of the most widely used textbooks in the field of sarcoma
Sarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues that develop from embryonic mesoderm. Thus, sarcomas include tumors of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular, and hematopoietic tissues...
and soft tissue pathology. Dr. Weiss is also well known for her seminal descriptions of multiple soft tissue
Soft tissue
In anatomy, the term soft tissue refers to tissues that connect, support, or surround other structures and organs of the body, not being bone. Soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fibrous tissues, fat, and synovial membranes , and muscles, nerves and blood vessels .It is sometimes...
tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s, such as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare tumor, first characterized by Sharon Weiss, M.D., that both clinically and histologically is intermediate between angiosarcoma and hemangioma. It is a vascular cancer in the lining of the blood vessels in the liver and lungs so rare that only 0.01 percent...
, pleomorphic
Pleomorphism (cytology)
Pleomorphism is a term used in histology and cytopathology to describe variability in the size and shape of cells and/or their nuclei. It is a feature characteristic of malignant neoplasms....
hyalinizing
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
angiectatic tumor of soft parts ("PHAT"), inflammatory myxohyaline tumor of distal extremities with virocyte and Reed-Sternberg-like cells
Reed-Sternberg cell
Reed–Sternberg cells are different giant cells found with light microscopy in biopsies from individuals with Hodgkin's lymphoma primarily due to EBV, and certain other disorders...
, and epithelioid sarcoma
Epithelioid sarcoma
Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal soft tissue tumour with an epithelioid pattern. It often occurs in the extremities of young adults.-Diagnosis:...
-like hemangioendothelioma, among others. She is also noted for mentoring and training other well-known soft tissue pathologists.
Early Life & Education
Sharon Weiss received her undergraduate training at Wellesley College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1966. This was followed by medical education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (M.D. granted in 1971) and residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital (1972–1975) in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the first female to serve as Chief Resident of Pathology in the history of the hospital.Career
Sharon Weiss spent many years training and working as a soft tissue pathologist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology under the mentoring of Dr. Franz Enzinger, one of the fathers of the field of soft tissue pathology. Following her work at the AFIP, she relocated to the University of Michigan Department of Pathology, where she worked for some years before moving to her current position as Professor of Pathology at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Weiss is currently the director of the expert consultation service at Emory University Hospital, where she (along with her colleague, Dr. Mark Edgar) provides diagnostic second opinions on sarcomas and other soft tissue pathology cases. She is also the Associate Dean for Faculty Development, a position she has held since 2006.Professional Involvement and Honors
Dr. Weiss served as President of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (1997–1998) and currently serves as a Trustee of the American Board of Pathology (2005 to present).Initial Characterization of New Soft Tissue Pathologic Entities
Dr. Weiss was the first to describe/characterize the following soft tissue pathologic entities:- Epithelioid hemangioendotheliomaEpithelioid hemangioendotheliomaEpithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare tumor, first characterized by Sharon Weiss, M.D., that both clinically and histologically is intermediate between angiosarcoma and hemangioma. It is a vascular cancer in the lining of the blood vessels in the liver and lungs so rare that only 0.01 percent...
(1982) - Epithelioid sarcomaEpithelioid sarcomaEpithelioid sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal soft tissue tumour with an epithelioid pattern. It often occurs in the extremities of young adults.-Diagnosis:...
-like hemangioendothelioma (2003) - Hyalinizing spindle cell tumor with giant rosettes (a morphologic variant of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcomaLow-grade fibromyxoid sarcomaLow-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma is a rare type of low grade sarcoma first described by Harry Evans in 1987. It is characterized by a long and indolent clinical course and the possibility of local recurrence or distant metastases in a subset of patients...
). - Inflammatory myxohyaline tumor of distal extremities with virocyte and Reed-Sternberg-like cellsReed-Sternberg cellReed–Sternberg cells are different giant cells found with light microscopy in biopsies from individuals with Hodgkin's lymphoma primarily due to EBV, and certain other disorders...
- Kaposiform hemangioendotheliomaKaposiform hemangioendotheliomaKaposiform hemangioendothelioma is an uncommon vascular tumor, first described by Zukerberg, Nickoloff, and Weiss in 1993, that affects infants and young children, with rare cases having also been reported in adults....
(1993) - Myxoid variant of malignant fibrous histiocytomaMalignant fibrous histiocytomaPleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma , also undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and previously malignant fibrous histiocytoma , is a type of soft tissue sarcoma....
(myxofibrosarcoma)(1977) - Neuroblastoma-like Neurilemoma (Schwannoma)
- Palisaded Myofibroblastoma (1989)
- ParagangliomaParagangliomaA paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that may develop at various body sites . About 97% are benign and cured by surgical removal; the remaining 3% are malignant because they are able to produce distant metastases...
-like dermal melanocytic tumorMelanocyte-External links: - "Eye: fovea, RPE" - "Integument: pigmented skin"... - Pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor of soft parts (so-called "PHAT")(1996)
- Sclerosing Rhabdomyosarcoma (2002)
- Spindle cell hemangioma (formerly spindle cell hemangioendothelioma)(1986)