The clinical microbiology laboratory is constantly evolving and progressing. New technologies have revolutionized the characterization and diagnosis of pathogens. The purpose of this chapter is to review the features, benefits, and limitations of some of the key new methodologies in…
Introduction Electron microscopy (EM) can assist in the identification of infectious organisms in surgical and clinical pathology specimens. However, since the advent of immunohistochemical, molecular (e.g., in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction), and serologic techniques, EM has been less often…
Introduction In the previous edition, this chapter stressed the importance of infectious disease cytology to the education of pathology trainees and practitioners. Within the contents of the chapter, are illustrated cases intended to demonstrate the value of the following: 1.…
Overview: Biopsy The practice of clinical infectious disease management has undergone a revolution with the advent of newer technologies, such as organism-specific molecular or protein-based diagnostic tools and, more recently, high throughput sequencing technologies on microbial diagnosis and the management…
The identification of infection in biopsied tissues is the primary responsibility of the surgical pathologist. In an age when both noninvasive and minimally invasive approaches and techniques have increased, it is important to revisit the role of the biopsy in…
General Principles of Molecular Biology Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a common technique used for the detection of protein expression in various tissue samples. In modern pathology practice, this methodology is expanded and complemented by molecular techniques that test for changes in…
Overview Pathologists frequently use immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate antigen location and expression patterns in tissue for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes. This process often also requires quantification of these immunostains to assist in therapeutic drug selection. Traditional scoring systems for IHC…
Overview Solid neoplasms of childhood and adolescence comprise a diverse group of diagnostically challenging entities with the basic morphologic themes of round cell, spindle cell, and epithelioid tumors. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular diagnostic tests have greatly improved our ability to…
Acknowledgment The authors thank Dr. Sara Monaco, who was a co-author of this chapter in the previous edition. Immunocytology, or immunocytochemistry (ICC), involves the use of ICC in diagnostic cytopathology. The application of immunostains in cytology cases has expanded and…
Acknowledgments The following colleagues provided particularly valuable assistance. Drs. Noah Brown, Sandra Camelo-Piragua, Katherine McFadden, Jeanne Bell, Larry Junck, and Ricardo Lloyd. Peter Ouillette, Sr BSA provided digital slide preparations, and assistance with Aperio. Linda Cisco carefully scanned slides. We…