WHAT DOES HISTOPATHOLOGY TELL US?
Histopathology is the study of tissues affected by disease and is very useful in making a diagnosis and in determining the severity and progress of a condition.
WHY DO I NEED HISTOPATHOLOGY IF A CYTOLOGY DIAGNOSIS IS ALREADY AVAILABLE?
Cytology is an important diagnostic tool that can provide fast and accurate results when applied to solid lesions. However, in a large percentage of cases cytopathology cannot substitute for histopathological examination, and the latter is often needed for a definitive diagnosis and to further characterise the lesion. For example, a diagnosis of canine cutaneous mast cell tumour is usually straightforward on cytology. As the next step, histopathology will provide details regarding histological grade and surgical margins, which all have an important prognostic value and will help to decide over the best treatment option.
WHAT ARE THE SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS?
The samples should be immersed in fixative solution as soon as possible. If the fixative solution is not readily available, the sample should be refrigerated (0-4⁰C), but not frozen. Although there are many types of fixative, most specimens are fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. The optimum formalin-to-specimen volume ratio should be at least 10:1. Formalin containers should be capped and leak-proof, and labelled correctly. Wherever possible, the whole sample should be submitted in formalin. If the tissue is large, then it may be more appropriate to submit representative sections. For instance, when sampling splenic masses, which are often very large, it is possible to send a number of representative portions from the periphery of the mass, avoiding areas of haemorrhage or necrosis. Ideally, samples should not be thicker than 10mm. And please remember to fill out the submission form with clinical details; this may contain information relevant for the pathologist to make the correct diagnosis.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE RESULTS?
Here, at Battlab, we provide a rapid, high-quality veterinary diagnostic histopathology service. Turnaround time for histopathology is 3 to 4 working days. Keep in mind that some specimens may need additional processing, such as decalcification of the bone biopsies, which may delay the process. The team we work with consists of experienced American and European Board certified as well as MRCPath qualified pathologists, which are always available to discuss cases.