Anatomic Pathology

The Anatomic Pathology Department of the Abano Terme General Hospital can be found on the first floor underground (-1. elevator 7 and stairwell F). The department mainly works in histological diagnostics of surgical and biopsic samples, diagnostic exfoliative cytology (PAP test, sputum exams, urinary cytology) and needle aspiration, extemporary intraoperative diagnostics, and autopsies.

It boasts an area of about 600 square meters, advanced technology, such as an integrated station for coloring and montage, a manual rotating microtome complete with cold plate and thermostat controlled bath, modular Tissue Embedding System, cryostat and instruments for immunohistochemistry.

Pathologies most frequently confronted:

• Mammary pathologies including the immunohistochemistry evaluation of the receptor asset and proliferation fraction
• Digestive tube pathologies, liver pathologies, bile duct pathologies, and pancreas pathologies
• Kidney and urinary tract pathologies, and pathologies of male and female genitalia
• Endocrine pathologies, pulmonary pathologies, skin and soft tissue pathologies
• Osteo-articular pathologies, needle aspiration cytopathology.

The Anatomic Pathology department carries an important role in the modern approach to diagnosing diseases. It performs not only traditional exams such as histology (microscopic analysis of tissues) and cytology (microscopic examination of cells), but also immunohistochemistry. The combining of histological and cytological immunodiagnostic techniques allows for a more accurate diagnosis and prognosis, as well as aiding the planning of therapeutic strategies. Above all, this helps in the field of cancer pathologies.

Organs removed during surgical procedures, or small tissue samples (biopsy), as in endoscopic exams, for example, are first examined by a pathologist using the naked eye (macroscopically). Then they are given the appropriate treatments (processing, preparation of thin slices, histochemical and immunohistochemical staining), and examined under the microscope (microscopic exam) in order to formulate an exact diagnosis which will allow for the correct application of the ideal therapeutic protocols.

The pathologist can also perform intra-operative diagnosis when requested by the surgeon. In this case, after the naked eye exam (macroscopic exam), the removed tissue is immediately frozen so that it may easily be sectioned into thin slices which can then be examined under the microscope (microscopic exam).
The intra-operative diagnosis is communicated by telephone to the surgeon within 20 minutes. The surgeon can then proceed in the operation according to the most appropriate protocol for the particular situation.

Within the Anatomic Pathology Department there is also the Cytological Diagnostic service, which includes:

• Urinary cytology exams
• Sputum cytology exams
• Exfoliative cytology
• Brush cytology (brushing)
• Aspiration biopsy cytology

Each diagnostic activity that is done in the Anatomic Pathology service contains a technical phase in which the sample is evaluated and processed (acceptance, description, sampling, cutting, and staining).
The second phase is a cognitive-analytical one in which the macroscopic findings are matched with the clinical data. The result of these processes is the emission of a written diagnostic report. One of the duties of the anatomopathologist is to provide diagnostic feedback, such as in autopsies.