The department provides technical laboratory services and histology reporting provision across all major specialities, to support cancer and non-cancer patient pathways. Our quality and performance is locally and nationally monitored to meet high quality standards in-keeping with an accredited service.
Histology tissue diagnostics requires multiple scientific steps to handle biopsy and tissue resections following surgery, and each technical laboratory section contributes to produce diagnostic information to the reporting scientists and pathologists. The tissue slides are assessed via microscopy to produce a diagnostic report that informs clinicians and service users in patient management.
The laboratory teams provide speciality skill and technique in the below histology areas to support results:
- Specimen Reception and dissection receives and prepares tissue samples, both fresh and fixed. Tissue is appropriately sampled/dissected in preparation for processing into paraffin wax.
- Slide production embeds processed tissue into wax blocks and then creates stained slides of multiple types, to allow diagnostic histology reporting.
- Immunocytochemistry (ICC) involves the identification of specific targets (antigens) within tissue using antibodies. This further supports diagnosis, classification, prognosis and treatment planning. Testing is performed on automated platforms with high throughput productivity.
- Electron Microscopy (Transmission EM) may aid in the diagnosis of routine surgical cases. In addition, as a University teaching hospital, research projects are undertaken and many cases are received as referrals. The ability to resolve ultrastructure contributes in determining the histogenesis of tumours. Most cases handled are renal biopsies where visualisation of specific ultrastructural features is often of prognostic value.
- Neuropathology is a specialist area within Cellular Pathology, it is involved in the histopathological diagnosis of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The service supports the work of the Neurology, Neuro-oncology and Neurosurgery departments within the NUTH Trust, as well as providing a regional and national specialist referral service, in particular for paediatric neuropathology. Both surgical and autopsy tissue samples are examined by the team.
- Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a highly successful treatment for skin cancer. Our Mohs laboratory produce high quality frozen tissue sections for Mohs trained dermatologists to read within clinic, allowing them to see beneath the visible disease and directly treat patients with surgical removal of any cancer.
- Muscle biopsies are handled in a specialist laboratory, requiring fresh tissue samples that are tested using enzyme histochemical techniques to allow diagnosis. We work collaboratively with other muscle services including the Muscle Immunoassay Unit (MIU).
The Cellular Pathology service is currently implementing a major service transformation to digital pathology, where digital image analysis will be used in place or in addition to microscopy to reach a diagnosis.