lobulaarinen

Lobulaarinen is a Finnish adjective meaning lobular in English. It is used to describe tissues, organs, or structures that are organized into small, discrete units called lobules or lobulae. The term derives from Latin lobulus, a diminutive form of lobus (lobe).

In anatomy and histology, lobular describes architecture rather than overall contour. For example, many glandular organs are described as having lobular organization, such as the mammary gland, liver, pancreas, or salivary glands, where tissues are subdivided into lobules by connective tissue septa. In imaging and pathology reports, "lobular" indicates that changes or lesions are centered on or arranged around lobules rather than ducts or linear patterns.

In medical contexts, lobular patterns appear in various conditions. In breast pathology, for instance, lobular carcinoma in situ and lobular neoplasia refer to neoplastic processes arising within lobules. The term is also used to describe lobular atrophy or proliferative lobulopathy in aging or inflammatory states.

Note that "lobular" is distinct from "lobulated" in English, which describes a structure divided into lobes with a scalloped or segmented contour, rather than tissue organization into lobules.

Related concepts include lobule, lobular carcinoma, and histology.