Autopsy: a brain surrounded by pus (the yellow-greyish coat around the brain, under the dura lifted by the forceps), the result of bacterial meningitis. An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination The brain is the center of the Nervous system in animals All Vertebrates and the majority of Invertebrates have a brain Meningitis is Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the Brain and Spinal cord, known collectively as the Meninges.

Gross examination: appearance of the cut surface of a lung showing the honeycomb pattern of end-stage pulmonary fibrosis. Gross examination or "grossing" is the process by which Pathology specimens are inspected with the naked eye to obtain diagnostic information while being lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, also known as cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, is a Chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with an unknown

Gross examination: appearance of a colorectal polyp (the cauliflower-shaped tumor) attached to the colon mucosa (the horizontal line at the bottom). Gross examination or "grossing" is the process by which Pathology specimens are inspected with the naked eye to obtain diagnostic information while being A colorectal polyp (or colon polyp) is a fleshy growth ( polyp) occurring on the lining of the Colon or Rectum.

Histopathology: microscopic appearance of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Histopathology (from the Greek histos (tissue and pathos (suffering refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations The slide is stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin.

Histopathology: microscopic appearance of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Histopathology (from the Greek histos (tissue and pathos (suffering refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations The slide is stained with an antibody (immunohistochemistry) against the ongene Her2neu. Immunohistochemistry or IHC refers to the process of localizing proteins in cells of a tissue section exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically HER2/neu (also known as ErbB-2) stands for "Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2" and is a protein giving higher aggressiveness in Breast cancers It is a The dark brown reaction indicates that this tumor over-expresses this gene.

Cytopathology: microscopic appearance of a Pap test. Cytopathology (from Greek grc κύτος kytos, "a hollow" grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia The Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test used in Gynecology The pink cell a the center with a large nucleus is abnormal, compatible with low grade dysplasia. Dysplasia (from Greek roughly "bad formation" is a term used in Pathology to refer to an abnormality in maturation of cells within a tissue

Anatomical pathology (Commonwealth) or Anatomic pathology (U. S. ) is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross, microscopic, and molecular examination of organs, tissues, and whole bodies (autopsy). Gross examination or "grossing" is the process by which Pathology specimens are inspected with the naked eye to obtain diagnostic information while being Histopathology (from the Greek histos (tissue and pathos (suffering refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within Pathology which is focused in the study and diagnosis of disease through the examination of molecules within organs tissues or bodily In Biology, an organ ( Latin: organum, "instrument tool" from Greek όργανον - organon "organ instrument Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination The anatomical pathologist reports to doctors; he (she) does not usually see patients.

Anatomical pathology is itself divided in subspecialties, the main ones being surgical pathology, cytopathology and forensic pathology. Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Cytopathology (from Greek grc κύτος kytos, "a hollow" grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver To be licensed to practice anatomical pathology, one has to complete medical school, an approved residency program and be certified. In most countries only persons with a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved Professional association or a Government agency are authorized Medical education A medical school or faculty of medicine is a Tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches Medicine Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a Medical degree ( MD In the U. S. , the American board of Pathology certifies pathologists.

Anatomical pathology is one of two branches of pathology, the other being clinical pathology, the diagnosis of disease through the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids. Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and Pathology; please do not remove --> Laboratory Medicine (Germany Biopathology A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a Laboratory where tests are done on clinical specimens in order to get information about the Health Bodily fluids listed below are found in the bodies of men and/or women Often, pathologists practice both anatomical and clinical pathology, a combination known as general pathology. Pathology; please do not remove --> are physicians who diagnose and characterize disease in living patients Pathology; please do not remove --> also called, or, is a broad and complex scientific field Similar specialties exist in veterinary pathology. Pathology; please do not remove --> are doctors of veterinary medicine who specialise

Skills and procedures

The procedures used in anatomic pathology include:

• Gross examination - the examination of diseased tissues with the naked eye. Gross examination or "grossing" is the process by which Pathology specimens are inspected with the naked eye to obtain diagnostic information while being This is important especially for large tissue fragments, because the disease can often be visually identified. It is also at this step that the pathologist selects areas that will be processed for histopathology. The eye can sometimes be aided with a magnifying glass or a stereo microscope, especially when examining parasitic organisms. magnifying glass (called a hand lens in laboratory contexts is a convex lens which is used to produce a magnified Image of an object The optical microscope, often referred to as the "light microscope" is a type of Microscope which uses Visible light and a system of lenses to
• Histopathology - the microscopic examination of stained tissue sections using histological techniques. Histopathology (from the Greek histos (tissue and pathos (suffering refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations A microscope ( Greek: ( micron) = small + ( skopein) = to look or see is an instrument for viewing objects that are Histology (from the Greek = 'tissue' is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of Plants and The standard stains are haematoxylin and eosin, but many others exist. Haematoxylin, hematoxylin, Natural Black 1, or CI 75290 is extracted from the wood of the Logwood tree Eosin is a Fluorescent red Dye resulting from the action of Bromine on Fluorescein. The use of haematoxylin and eosin-stained slides to provide specific diagnoses based on morphology is considered to be the core skill of anatomic pathology. The science of staining tissues sections is called histochemistry. Histology (from the Greek = 'tissue' is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of Plants and
• Immunohistochemistry - the use of antibodies to detect the presence, abundance, and localization of specific proteins. Immunohistochemistry or IHC refers to the process of localizing proteins in cells of a tissue section exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically This technique is critical to distinguishing between disorders with similar morphology, as well as characterizing the molecular properties of certain cancers.
• In situ hybridization - Specific DNA and RNA molecules can be identified on sections using this technique. In situ hybridization (ISH is a type of hybridization that uses a labeled Complementary DNA or RNA strand (i Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known Ribonucleic acid ( RNA) is a Nucleic acid that consists of a long chain of Nucleotide units When the probe is labeled with fluorescent dye, the technique is called FISH. Fluorescence is a Luminescence that is mostly found as an FISH ( Fluorescent In situ hybridization) is a cytogenetic technique that can be used to detect and localize the presence or absence
• Cytopathology - the examination of loose cells spread and stained on glass slides using cytology techniques. Cytopathology (from Greek grc κύτος kytos, "a hollow" grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia
• Electron microscopy - the examination of tissue with an electron microscope, which allows much greater magnification, enabling the visualization of organelles within the cells. An electron microscope is a type of Microscope that uses Electrons to illuminate a specimen and create an enlarged image In Cell biology, an organelle (pronunciation /ɔː(rgəˡnɛl/ is a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function and is usually separately enclosed Its use has been largely supplanted by immunohistochemistry, but it is still in common use for certain tasks, including the diagnosis of kidney disease and the identification of immotile cilia syndrome among many others. Immunohistochemistry or IHC refers to the process of localizing proteins in cells of a tissue section exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles Primary ciliary dyskinesia ( PCD) also known as immotile ciliary syndrome or Kartagener Syndrome (KS, is a rare Autosomal recessive
• Tissue cytogenetics - the visualization of chromosomes to identify genetics defects such as chromosomal translocation. Cytogenetics is a branch of Genetics that is concerned with the study of chromosomes and cell division In Genetics, a chromosome translocation is a Chromosome abnormality caused by rearrangement of parts between nonhomologous Chromosomes.
• Flow immunophenotyping - the determination of the immunophenotype of cells using flow cytometry techniques. Flow cytometry is a technique for counting examining and sorting microscopic particles suspended in a stream of fluid Immunophenotyping is a technique used to study the protein expressed by cells Flow cytometry is a technique for counting examining and sorting microscopic particles suspended in a stream of fluid It is very useful to diagnose the different types of leukemia and lymphoma. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Lymphoma a type of Neoplasm that originates in Lymphocytes (a type of White blood cell in the vertebrate Immune system)

Subspecialties

Surgical pathology

Main article: Surgical pathology

Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology is the most significant and time-consuming area of practice for most anatomical pathologists. Surgical pathology involves the gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies submitted by non-surgeons such as general internists, medical subspecialists, dermatologists, and interventional radiologists. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental A biopsy (in Greek: βίος life and όψη look/appearance is a Medical test involving the removal of cells or tissues In Medicine, a surgeon is a person who performs Surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive Medical treatment that involves the cutting of a Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases Dermatology (from Greek grc δέρμα derma, "skin" and grc -λογία -logia) is a branch of Medicine dealing with Interventional radiology (abbreviated IR or sometimes VIR for vascular and interventional radiology) is a subspecialty of Radiology in which

Oral and maxillofacial pathology

In the United States, subspecialty-trained doctors of dentistry, rather than medical doctors, can be certified by a professional board to practice Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Dentistry' is the "evaluation diagnosis prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical surgical or related procedures of diseases disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity

Cytopathology

Main article: Cytopathology

Cytopathology is a sub-discipline of anatomical pathology concerned with the microscopic examination of whole, individual cells obtained from smears or fine needle aspirates. Cytopathology (from Greek grc κύτος kytos, "a hollow" grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia Cytopathology (from Greek grc κύτος kytos, "a hollow" grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia Cytopathologists are trained to perform fine-needle aspirates of superficially located organs, masses, or cysts, and are often able to render an immediate diagnosis in the presence of the patient and consulting physician. In the case of screening tests such as the Papanicolaou smear, non-physician cytotechnologists are often employed to perform initial reviews, with only positive or uncertain cases examined by the pathologist. The Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test used in Gynecology Cytopathology is a board-certifiable subspecialty in the U. S.

Molecular pathology

Main article: Molecular pathology

Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within anatomical pathology which is focused on the use of nucleic acid-based techniques such as in-situ hybridization, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and nucleic acid microarrays for specialized studies of disease in tissues and cells. Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within Pathology which is focused in the study and diagnosis of disease through the examination of molecules within organs tissues or bodily Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within Pathology which is focused in the study and diagnosis of disease through the examination of molecules within organs tissues or bodily Molecular pathology shares some aspects of practice with both anatomic and clinical pathology, and is sometimes considered a "crossover" discipline.

Autopsy pathology

Main article: Autopsy

General anatomical pathologists are trained in performing autopsies, which are used to determine the disease factors contributing to a person's death. An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination Autopsies are important in the ongoing medical education of clinicians, and in efforts to improve and verify the quality of medical care. Dieners are non-physicians who assist pathologists in the gross dissection portion of the autopsy. The word Diener is German for Servant. In English, it is generally used to describe the person in the Morgue, responsible The recently established field of Pathologists Assistant has taken over a the role of Diener and contributes a great deal to the pre-diagnosis of disease within the pathology laboratory. The word Diener is German for Servant. In English, it is generally used to describe the person in the Morgue, responsible Autopsies represent less than 10% of the workload of typical pathologists in the United States. ^[1] However, the autopsy is central to public perceptions of the field, in part due to portrayals of pathologists on television programs such as Quincy, M.E. and Silent Witness. Quincy ME (or simply Quincy) is the name of a United States Television series from Universal Studios that aired from October Silent Witness is a long-running British Television thriller series made by the BBC 's in-house Drama Serials production department

Forensic pathology

Main article: Forensic pathology

Forensic pathologists receive specialized training in determining the cause of death and other legally relevant information from the bodies of persons who died in a non-medical or potentially criminal circumstances. Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Autopsies make up much, but not all of the work of the practicing forensic pathologist, and forensic pathologists are occasionally consulted to examine a survivor of a criminal attack. Forensic pathology is a board-certifiable sub-specialty in the U. S.

Training and certification of Anatomical Pathologists

Australia

• (Also New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia)

Anatomical Pathology one of the specialty training programs offered by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA). The RCPA wikipedia article is here. The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia is a medical organization that promotes the science and practice of Pathology. To qualify as a Fellow of the RCPA in Anatomical Pathology, the candidate must complete a recognised undergraduate or postgraduate medical qualification, then complete 2 years of clinical medical experience (Internship and a general clinical residency year)as a prerequisite to selection as a training registrar. The training program is 5 years, and candidates must pass a Basic Pathological Sciences examination (usually in first year), The Part 1 examination (3rd year) and the Part 2 examination (5th year). Fellows may then continue into subspecialty training.

Canada

Anatomical Pathology (AP) is one of the specialist certificates granted by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Other certificates related to pathology include general pathology (GP), forensic pathology, hematopathology, and neuropathology. Candidates for any of these must have completed four years of medical school and five years of residency training. After becoming certified in either AP or GP, it is common for pathologists to seek further fellowship training in a subspecialty of AP.

USA

Anatomic Pathology (AP) is one of the two primary certifications offered by the American Board of Pathology. The other is Clinical Pathology (CP). Pathology; please do not remove --> Laboratory Medicine (Germany Biopathology To be certified in anatomic pathology, the trainee must complete four years of medical school followed by three years of residency training. Many US pathologists are certified in both AP and CP, which requires a total of four years of residency. After completing residency, many pathologists enroll in further years of fellowship training to gain expertise in a subspecialty of AP.

Anatomical pathology practice settings

• Academic anatomical pathology is practiced at university medical centers by pathologists who are also university faculty. As such, they often have diverse responsibilities that may include training pathology residents, teaching medical students, conducting basic, clinical, or translational research, and/or performing administrative duties, all in addition to the practice of diagnostic anatomical pathology. Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a Medical degree ( MD Medical education A medical school or faculty of medicine is a Tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches Medicine Basic Research is an Herbal supplement and cosmetics manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, Utah that distributes products through a large number of Clinical research is a branch of Medical science that determines the safety and effectiveness of Medications devices, diagnostic products Translational Medicine is the emerging view of medical practice and interventional epidemiology as a natural 21st century progression from Evidence-Based Medicine Pathologists in academic settings often sub-specialize in a particular area of anatomic pathology and may serve as consultants to other pathologists regarding cases in their specific area of expertise.

• Group practice is the most traditional private practice model. In this arrangement, a group of senior pathologists will control a partnership that employs junior pathologists and contracts independently with hospitals to provide diagnostic services, as well as attracting referral business from local clinicians who practice in the outpatient setting. The group often owns a laboratory for histology and ancillary testing of tissue, and may hold contracts to run hospital-owned labs. Histology (from the Greek = 'tissue' is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of Plants and Many pathologists who practice in this setting are trained and certified in both anatomical pathology and clinical pathology, which allows them to supervise blood banks, clinical chemistry laboratories, and medical microbiology laboratories as well. Pathology; please do not remove --> Laboratory Medicine (Germany Biopathology A blood bank is a cache or bank of Blood or blood components, gathered as a result of Blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in Blood transfusions Clinical chemistry (also known as clinical biochemistry, chemical pathology or pure blood chemistry) is the area of Pathology that is generally Medical microbiology is a branch of Microbiology which deals with the study of microorganisms including bacteria viruses fungi and parasites which are of medical importance

• Large corporate providers of anatomical pathology services have emerged in recent years, most notably AmeriPath in the United States. In this model, pathologists are employees, rather than independent partners. This model has been criticized for reducing physician independence, but defenders claim that the larger size of these practices allow for economies of scale and greater specialization, as well a sufficient volume to support more specialized testing methods.

• Multispecialty groups, composed of physicians from clinical specialties as well as radiology and pathology, are another practice model. Radiology is the medical specialty directing Medical imaging technologies to diagnose and treat diseases In some case, these may be large groups controlled by an HMO or other large health care organization. "HMO" redirects here For other uses see HMO (disambiguation. In others, they are essentially clinician group practices that employ pathologists to provide diagnostic services for the group. These groups may own their own laboratories, or, in some cases may make controversial arrangements with "pod labs" that allow clinician groups to lease space, with the clinican groups receiving direct insurance payments for pathology services. ^[2] Proposed changes to Medicare regulations may essentially eliminate these arrangements in the United States. This article refers to Medicare, a United States health insurance program ^[3]

See also

• Pathology
• Clinical pathology
• Forensic pathology
• Molecular pathology
• Veterinary pathology
• Plant pathology
• Histology

External links

• PathMax, a collection of online Pathology resources
• MyBiopsy.org, information on more than 25 of the most common cancers and cancer-related conditions
• The Doctor's doctor, a very useful web site for patients and pathologists
• Pathologie Online, online Pathology resources in German
• Pathology Outlines, an online textbook of anatomic pathology
• College of American Pathologists
• American Board of Pathology
• CYTOPATHNET Online Resource Center for Cytopathology
• Histology Group of Victoria Incorporated
• Flickr group: Pathology and Lab Medicine: numerous photos illustrating the work of pathologists. Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and Pathology; please do not remove --> Laboratory Medicine (Germany Biopathology Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within Pathology which is focused in the study and diagnosis of disease through the examination of molecules within organs tissues or bodily Veterinary medicine the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife Histology (from the Greek = 'tissue' is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of Plants and

References