Anatomical pathology: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Anatomical pathology is the branch of pathology that looks at tissue structure and biopsies. Contrary to popular belief, the field is mostly concerned with tissue of live patients, although autopsy remains an important tool in gaining medical knowledge.

Diseases

Biopsy specimens are often taken when the cause of a disease is uncertain, or its extent or exact character is in doubt. Aditionally, it can differentiate between different types of cancer and determine whether a lesion is benign or malignant. Vasculitis is usually diagnosed on biopsy.

The procedures used in anatomical pathology:

• Gross pathology:
  • identification of injuries, retrieval of foreign bodies and surgical material
  • examination with the naked eye (this is important especially for large tissue fragments, where diseased parts of an organ can often be visually identified)
• Histopathology and cytopathology:
  • examination of stained sections on glass slides with a microscope (most commonly haematoxylin and eosin - a pink and blue stain)
  • examination with special stains for iron, organisms, calcium, elastic tissue, mucins etc
  • examination with immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence stains - special antibody type stains especially useful in tumour pathology, in some inflammatory skin diseases and renal biopsies
  • Electron microscopy
  • Tissue cytogenetics