Histopathology Flashcards
(20 cards)
What’s the difference between a histopathologist and a cytopathologist?
Histopathologist looks at the whole tissue
Cytopathologist looks at cells
Give four samples a histopathologist would use and explain these
Biopsies
Resection specimens - whole part of an organ is taken out
Frozen sections
Post-mortems
Give two samples that cytopathologists would use
Smears
Fine needle aspirates
Why are specimens waxed?
To increase the time we can keep the specimen for, and to be able to cut it into thin slices
How long do frozen sections take and when are they done?
Very quick, done during surgery to detect whether more cells need to be resected
Since frozen sections are quicker, why aren’t they done on all specimens?
Image quality is poorer
What questions are asked about biopsies?
Is it normal?
Is it inflamed, if so why?
Is it cancer, if so what type?
What questions are asked about resection specimens?
How far has the cancer spread?
Is it all out?
Which type of post-mortems need consent from families?
Hospital post-mortems
Which post mortems do not need consent from families?
Coroner’s post mortems (due to it being a legal requirement)
What do you fix the section in and what does this do?
Fixed in formalin - removes water and prevents decomposition
What happens after the section is fixed with formalin?
Embedded in paraffin wax
What happens after the section is embedded in paraffin wax?
Stained and put under a microscope to be viewed!
Fill in the gaps: Purple is … and pink is … ?
Purple is bad
Pink is good
List two types of stains done on sections
Gram staining
H+E
Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain
What is a Ziehl-Neelsen stain used to detect? Give an example.
Mycobacteria e.g. TB
What is better than using stains to identify things in the cells?
Immunohistochemistry
How long do frozen section results take?
30 minutes
How long do biopsy results take?
2-3 days
How long do resection specimen results take?
5-7 days
