HISTOPATHOLOGY TESTS
Ηistological examination refers to the process of examining histological samples under the microscope. The samples are subjected to processing and need a series of preparatory steps in order to be examined and analyzed depending on the type of tissue and the type of examination required.
Whenever there is a need for an immediate diagnosis during the performance of a surgery, a frozen section is performed.
Specimens that are classified as large include entire organs or pieces of them, which have been removed during surgery. Examples can include a uterus removed with the performance of a hysterectomy, the large intestine removed with a colectomy or the tonsils removed after a tonsillectomy.
Small specimens are biopsies obtained from all kind of organs, to determine the diagnosis, upon which treatment decisions are depended.
In general histological examinations can be classified under the following categories:
A pathologist’s contribution concerning ailments that appear on the breast is found in the following actions:
- Diagnosing the ailment
- Determining whether the prognosis and subsequent treatment are commensurate
The two primary techniques used for diagnostic purposes in this case are:
- Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNA or FNAB) for the collection and testing of individual cells from the area under examination
- Core Biopsy (the collection of a small piece of the suspect tissue). In case a tumor in the breast is found, the examination by the pathologist is going to provide the medical team with the following information which are crucial for the subsequent prognosis and treatment:
Υπόδειγμα μαστογραφίας από ογκεκτομή με καρκίνωμα που σημαδεύεται με καλωδιακή καθοδήγηση (βελόνα) εντοπισμού. Το τελικό μεταλλικό κλιπ σηματοδοτεί την περιοχή λήψης βιοψίας δια βελόνης (core needle biopsy), ενώ η βελόνα διαπερνά κατά μήκος τον όγκο.
- Histological grading
- Sample of mammography depicting a cancerous lumpectomy marked with a localization needle. The needle intersects the tumor lengthwise and the clip marks the area of the core biopsy.
- Stage of the tumor
- Existence of lymphatic infiltrates
- Appraisal of surgical margins
- Existence of metastatic spots on lymph nodes
- Appraisal of hormonal receptors existence as well as cerbB-2 receptors for anti-HER-2 treatment
The ailments that can afflict the female reproductive system can include ailments of the vulva, of the vagina, of the uterus (ectocervical, endocervical, endometrial, myometrial) as well as of the appendages (fallopian tubes, ovaries). The most common of those are:
Common ailments afflicting the male reproductive system include:
- Hyperplasia of the prostate gland (adenomatous hyperplasia)
- Chronic prostatitis/li>
- Carcinoma of the prostate gland
- Orchitis
- Testicular and scrotum tumors
- Inflammations and tumors of the penis
Some indicative actions performed by the pathologist in this subgroup of histopathology include:
- Needle prostate biopsies to determine the presence of a tumor. To assure an accurate diagnosis the biopsy material is exhausted after procuring unstained samples from it for our archive in order to be in a position to perform immunohistochemistry examinations at a later point in time if the need arises. Double or triple stains are performed to reduce costs without compromising the validity of the immunohistochemistry tests.
- Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). If the need arises we exhaust the collected material to achieve the most accurate and conclusive diagnosis possible.
- Testicular biopsies – azoospermia and ypospermatogenesis appraisals
- Orchiectomies
- Radical prostatectomies
Common ailments afflicting the the human urological system include: dysuria, hematuria, nocturia, enuresis, incontinence, polyuria, urinary retention, orcheodynia, renal colic etc. Samples typically examined:
- Kidney biopsies (to eliminate the existence of malignancies)
- Ureter biopsies
- Bladder biopsies
- Urethra biopsies
- Samples collected after surgery from the aforementioned organs, which, after being submitted to the necessary preparatory treatment are examined in order to determine the nature of the existing tumor and put together the definitive diagnosis upon which the urologist surgeon and the rest of the medical team responsible for the patient will base the subsequent surgical/therapeutical treatment.
Common ailments of the skin include:
- acne, vitiligo, hair loss, various scars
- rosacea, fungal infections
- systemic diseases (eg systemic lupus erythematosus)
- keratoses, warts
- warts (HPV infection)
- carcinomas of the skin
- benign skin tumors
- Melanocytic nevi (Skin moles)
- Melanoma
The scientific team of “Microdiagnostiki” possesses the necessary experience as well as the corresponding diagnostic techniques to provide you with a precise diagnosis.
Non-neoplastic – inflammatory diseases:
- Reflux – gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Gastritis – infection with helicobacter pylori (helicobacter pylori)
- Idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
- Microscopic colitis
- Infectious colitis / pseudomembranous colitis
- Celiac disease – malabsorption syndrome
- Diverticula – diverticulitis
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Cholecystitis – lithiasis cholecystitis
Benign and malignant neoplastic diseases:
- Esophageal papillomas
- Esophageal carcinoma
- Polyps stomach, small intestine and colon
- Gastric carcinoma
- Carcinoma small & large intestine
- Anal warts
- Genital wart
- Anal carcinomas
- Benign and malignant tumors pancreas
- Benign and malignant tumors of the liver
Diseases that cause swelling of the lymph nodes:
- Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, infectious mononucleosis
- Systemic diseases such as sarcoidosis
- Neoplastic diseases such as Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, leukemias
- Metastasis of malignant tumor in the lymph nodes
In order to properly diagnose such disorders an extensive range of tests and examinations is needed (a combination of immunohistochemistry, histological examinations and/or histochemistry). “Microdiagnostiki” can guarantee in such cases the proper and strategic management of the collected material as well as provide the necessary expertise for a definitive diagnosis.
Main neoplastic diseases of the bone marrow and the blood;
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
- Polycythemia vera (PV)
- Essential thrombocythaemia (ET)
- Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL)
- Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia (CEL) / Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (iHES)
- Chronic Idiopathic myelofibrosis (CIMF)
- Myeloid neoplasms associated with eosinophilia and PDGFRA rearrangements of genes, PDGFRB and FGFR1
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (B-CLL)
- Multiple Myeloma (MM)
- Mantle cell lymphoma (Mantle Cell Lymphoma)
- Marginal Zone Lymphoma (Marginal zone b-cell lymphoma of malt type)
- Follicular lymphoma (Follicular Lymphoma)
- Diffuse large B-cells (Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma)
- Burkitt’s lymphoma
- Anaplastic Lymphoma (Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma)
Microdiagnostics Ltd guarantees the rapid processing and reliable interpretation of Bone Marrow Biopsies, with appropriately trained physicians, hematopathologists and histotechnologists.