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Cervical Biopsy (Biopsy-Cervix, Cervical Punch Biopsy, Cone Biopsy, Conization) Procedure Overview What is a cervical biopsy? A cervical biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue from the cervix to test for abnormal or precancerous conditions, or cervical cancer. The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) located between the bladder and the rectum. It forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body. Types of cervical biopsies: There are several type...

Endometrial Biopsy (Biopsy-Endometrium) Procedure Overview What is an endometrial biopsy? An endometrial biopsy is a procedure performed to obtain a small tissue sample from the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. After the biopsy, the endometrial tissue is examined under a microscope to identify the presence of abnormal cells, or the effects of hormones on the endometrium. Other related procedures used to evaluate and treat endometrial problems include dilation and curettage (D & C), hyst...

PAP Test Procedure (Pap Smear, Pap Screening, Papanicolaou Test) Procedure Overview What is a Pap test? A Pap test, named after Dr. George Papanicolaou who designed the test, is a screening test to collect and microscopically examine cells taken from the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) located between the bladder and the rectum. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body. With a Pap test, cells can be collected from the vagina as well ...

Kidney Biopsy (Biopsy-Kidney, Renal Biopsy, Biopsy-Renal, Needle Aspiration of the Kidney, Percutaneous Kidney Biopsy) Procedure Overview What is a kidney biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. During a kidney biopsy, tissue samples are removed with a special needle to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present, or to determine how well the kidney is working. There are two types of kidney biopsies: needle biopsy ...

Liver Biopsy (Biopsy-Liver, Percutaneous Liver Biopsy) Procedure Overview What is a liver biopsy? A liver biopsy is a procedure in which tissue samples from the liver are removed for examination under a microscope to look for signs of damage or disease. It is used to diagnose many liver conditions. During a liver biopsy, tissue samples are removed with a special needle to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present, or to determine how well the liver is working. There are three types of live...

Lung Biopsy (Biopsy-Lung, Closed Lung Biopsy, Transthoracic Needle Lung Biopsy, Percutaneous Needle Lung Biopsy, Transbronchial Lung Biopsy, Pulmonary Biopsy, Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery, VATS) Procedure Overview What is a lung biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A lung biopsy is a procedure in which samples of lung tissue are removed (with a special biopsy needle or during surgery) to determine if lung disease or canc...

Mediastinoscopy Procedure Overview What is a mediastinoscopy? A mediastinoscopy is a surgical procedure performed to examine the mediastinum. The mediastinum is the space behind the sternum (breastbone) in the middle of the chest that separates the two lungs. It contains lymph nodes, the heart and its great vessels, the trachea, the esophagus, and the thymus gland. The mediastinum can be visualized by the use of an endoscopic instrument called a mediastinoscope. A mediastinoscope is a lighted, long, thi...

Pleural Biopsy (Biopsy-Pleural, Percutaneous Pleural Biopsy) Procedure Overview What is a pleural biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A pleural biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of the pleura (the membrane that surrounds the lungs) is removed with a special biopsy needle or during surgery to determine if disease, infection, or cancer is present. There are three types of pleural biopsies: needle biopsy - After a local...

Prostate Biopsy (Prostate Gland Biopsy, Transrectal Prostate Biopsy, Fine Needle Biopsy of the Prostate, Core Biopsy of the Prostate) Procedure Overview What is a prostate biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A prostate biopsy is a procedure in which prostate gland tissue samples are removed with a special biopsy needle or during surgery to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present. The diagnosis of cancer is ...

Bone Biopsy (Biopsy-Bone, Bone Lesion Biopsy) Procedure Overview What is a bone biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A bone biopsy is a procedure in which bone samples are removed (with a special biopsy needle or during surgery) to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present. A bone biopsy involves the outer layers of bone, unlike a bone marrow biopsy, which involves the innermost part of the bone. There are two...

Muscle Biopsy (Biopsy-Muscle) Procedure Overview A muscle biopsy is a procedure used to diagnose diseases involving muscle tissue. Tissue and cells from a specific muscle are removed and viewed microscopically. The procedure requires only a small piece of tissue to be removed from the designated muscle. The tissue sample is obtained by inserting a biopsy needle into the muscle. If a larger sample is required, your physician may make an incision in the skin (open biopsy) and remove a larger section of mu...

Anatomical Pathology Anatomical pathology is the study of organs and tissues to determine the causes and effects of particular diseases. Today, with advanced technology, a tissue specimen can be obtained from almost any organ or any part of the body using various biopsy techniques. Biopsies can also be taken during surgery or during an autopsy (an after-death examination). There are many different divisions of anatomical pathology. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a bri...

Autopsy What is an autopsy? An autopsy is an examination of a body after death. Autopsies are performed to determine cause of death, or to verify diagnosis. Why is an autopsy performed? Autopsies are performed for several reasons, including the following: When a suspicious death occurs, an autopsy is usually ordered. An autopsy can be ordered when there is some public health concern, such as a mysterious disease. An autopsy may be ordered if someone dies unattended by a physician, or if the attending ph...

Biopsy What is a biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. Some biopsies can be performed in a physician's office, while others need to be done in a hospital setting. In addition, some biopsies require use of an anesthetic to numb the area, while others do not require any sedation. Biopsies are usually performed to determine whether a tumor is malignant (cancerous) or to determine the cause of an unexplained infection or inflamm...

Clinical Chemistry What is clinical chemistry? Clinical chemistry uses chemical processes to measure levels of chemical components in the blood. The most common specimens used in clinical chemistry are blood and urine. Many different tests exist to test for almost any type of chemical component in blood or urine. Components may include blood glucose, electrolytes, enzymes, hormones, lipids (fats), other metabolic substances, and proteins. What are some common clinical chemistry tests? The following is a...

Clinical Pathology Clinical pathology encompasses a variety of laboratory specialties. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview. Clinical Pathology Overview Blood Banking Clinical Chemistry Hematology Immunology and Serology Microbiology

Clinical Pathology Overview What is clinical pathology? Clinical pathology covers a wide range of laboratory functions and is concerned with the diagnosis, patient care, and prevention of disease. Clinical pathologists look at the body's biochemical processes, such as hormone and enzyme production. Clinical pathologists often direct all of the special divisions of the laboratory, which may include the blood bank, clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology and serology, and microbiology. What does a clin...

Cytology What is cytology? Cytology is the study of individual cells to detect abnormal cells. Used extensively to diagnose cancer, cytology is also used in screening for fetal abnormalities and in diagnosing infectious organisms. The cells to be examined may be obtained through the following methods: scraping or brushing the tissue surface body fluids fine-needle aspirations (removing cells by drawing them through a fine needle) Cytology is different from histology, which is the study of grouping of ce...

Glossary - Pathology | A | | B | | C | | D | | E | | F | | G | | H | | I | | J | | K | | L | | M | | N | | O | | P | | Q | | R | | S | | T | | U | | V | | W | | X | | Y | | Z | A [return to top] anesthesia - lack of normal sensation, especially the awareness of pain, which may be brought on by anesthetic drugs. General anesthesia causes loss of consciousness; local or regional anesthesia causes loss of feeling only to a specified area. asymptomatic - to be without noticeable symptoms of disease. atypica...

Hematology What is hematology? Hematology is the study of blood and its disorders. Hematologists, board-certified internists, look specifically at blood components such as blood count, and blood and bone marrow cells. Hematological tests can help diagnose anemia, hemophilia, blood-clotting disorders, and leukemia. What is the difference between a hematologist and a hematopathologist? A hematologist is usually a board-certified internist who has completed additional years of training in hematology. The h...

Topic Index The Pathologist The Pathology Report Screening Tests for Common Diseases Clinical Pathology Anatomical Pathology Glossary Pathology is the study of disease. A pathologist, who is a medical doctor, looks at the causes of disease, how disease progresses, and how disease affects the body. However, instead of examining the patient physically, a pathologist examines body fluids and tissue samples from that patient to help the primary physician make a diagnosis. Most people have had some blood and...

Immunology and Serology What are immunology and serology? Immunology is the study of the body's immune system and its functions and disorders. Serology is the study of blood serum (the clear fluid that separates when blood clots). Immunology and serology laboratories focus on the following: identifying antibodies (proteins made by a type of white blood cell in response to an antigen, a foreign protein, in the body) investigating problems with the immune system such as autoimmune diseases (when the body'...

Microbiology What is microbiology? Microbiology is the study of microorganisms - specifically, disease-causing microorganisms. Microbiology is responsible for identifying infectious agents in blood, urine, sputum, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. The infectious agents are then tested for sensitivity to certain antibiotics used to treat infections. Microbiology uses various techniques to identify microorganisms, including the following: chemical, immunological, and genetic tests examina...

Online Resources - Pathology This Web was compiled from a variety of sources including the online resources listed below, but is not intended to substitute or replace the professional medical advice you receive from your physician. The content provided here is for informational purposes only, and was not designed to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Please consult your physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. This page contains links to other World Wid...

Screening Tests for Common Diseases What is a screening test? A screening test is performed to detect potential health disorders or diseases in persons who do not have any symptoms of disease. The goal is early detection and lifestyle changes or surveillance, to reduce the risk of disease, or to detect it early enough to treat it most effectively. Screening tests are not considered diagnostic, but are utilized to identify a subset of the population who should have additional testing to determine the pre...

Surgical Pathology What is surgical pathology? Surgical pathology is the study of tissues removed from living patients during surgery to help diagnose a disease and determine a treatment plan. Often, the surgical pathologist provides consultation services in a wide variety of organ symptoms and subspecialties. Surgical pathologists provide diagnostic information and/or second opinions. For example, when performing breast cancer surgery, a surgical pathologist's examination of tissues removed during surg...

The Biopsy Report What is the purpose of a biopsy? For many health problems, a diagnosis is made by removing a sample of tissue for study in the pathology laboratory. The biopsy report describes the findings of a specimen. What happens to the specimen after the biopsy is done? After the specimen is removed from the patient, it is processed as a histologic section or a smear. histologic sections Histologic sections are very thin slices of the specimen that are stained and placed on a glass slide, and the...

The Pathologist What is a pathologist? A pathologist is a medical doctor who examines bodies and body tissues, and who is responsible for performing laboratory tests. A pathologist helps other physicians reach diagnoses and is an important member of the treatment team. Pathologists have completed medical school and must have at least four years of advanced medical education in a residency training program to be eligible to take board certification examinations. Pathologists are board-certified through t...

The Pathology Report What is a pathology report? Pathology reports are used by your physician to determine a diagnosis or treatment plan for a specific health condition or disease. In a small percentage of cases, an inadequate sample is obtained, which means there is not enough blood, tissue, etc., to perform the necessary analysis. In those cases, a second sample must be obtained. It does not mean that an abnormal finding was present, it simply means a laboratory analysis was not performed because the ...

Topic Index - Pathology Pathology Home The Pathologist The Pathology Report Screening Tests for Common Diseases Clinical Pathology Clinical Pathology Overview Blood Banking Clinical Chemistry Hematology Immunology and Serology Microbiology Anatomical Pathology Biopsy The Biopsy Report Surgical Pathology Cytology Autopsy Glossary

Blood Transfusions Why are blood transfusions performed? There are several different components of the blood that can be transfused into an adult. Red blood cells are the most common type of blood product transfusion. If your physician has decided you might need a transfusion of blood, or blood products, he/she will explain the reasons for the transfusion. There are several reasons why you may require a blood transfusion, including the following: a sudden loss of blood (sometimes as high as a quarter of...

Blood Donations / Blood Banking What is blood banking? Blood banking is the process that takes place in the laboratory to ensure that donated blood, or blood products, are safe before they are used in blood transfusions and other medical procedures. Blood banking includes typing the blood for transfusion and testing for infectious diseases. Facts about blood banking: According to the American Association of Blood Banks: About 38,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day (2006). The number of blo...

Why the Doctor Asks for a Urine Sample It's probably safe to say that no one really relishes giving a urine sample. But the truth is that few tests can match the routine urine analysis for telling your physician about what's going on inside your body. The bladder can hold almost 2 cups of urine for 2 to 5 hours comfortably, and excretes 2 quarts of waste products and additional water daily. And just as you use a dipstick to check your car's engine oil, physicians rely on a specially treated "dipstick," ...

How Your Lymph System Works Every day, your body’s immune system protects you from legions of invaders that attempt to infiltrate your body. A major part of your immune system is the lymph system. The lymph system is made up of lymph fluid, a network of organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts and lymph vessels that circulate lymph fluid to tissues and the bloodstream. Lymph nodes and lymph vessels are part of the circulatory system. In addition to playing a part in immunity, the lymph system transports excess ...