A hamartia is a focal malformation consisting of disorganized arrangement of
tissue types that are normally present in the anatomical area.
Dorlands Medical Dictionary
/ref> A hamartia is not considered to be a tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
, and is distinct from a hamartoma
A hamartoma is a mostly benign, local malformation of cells that resembles a neoplasm of local tissue but is usually due to an overgrowth of multiple aberrant cells, with a basis in a systemic genetic condition, rather than a growth descended fr ...
, which describes a benign neoplasm
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
characterized by tissue misarrangement similar to a hamartia (i.e., tissue types that are typical of the area but arranged in an atypical manner).
References
{{reflist
Dermal and subcutaneous growths
Anatomical pathology