Pathology
After the specimen has been collected, it is sent to our in-house pathology laboratory. These physicians specialize in laboratory analysis of bodily fluids and tissue samples on a cellular level. They will review your case and provide a diagnosis for your provider to review with you. This full-service capability allows our team to provide faster results.
Histology & Cytology
The pathology team implements the study of histology and cytology (cytopathology) to determine a diagnosis. Histology is the microscopic study of a full block of tissue whereas cytology examines a single cell.
The study of histology is used when viewing larger clusters of cells and tissues. This includes viewing the tissue structure of organs to examine for present diseases. In order to get the best view of the tissue, contrast dyes are added to provide the most concise diagnosis.
If your specimen collection was done by scraping a surface (pap smear), urine collection, removing cells through a fine needle or phlegm collection, it’s likely that the study of cytology is being used to diagnose the specimen. Our pathologists review these samples under a microscope to identify any cell abnormalities.
Cytology can be broken into two categories. The first is intervention cytology which involves a doctor or medical professional drawing the specimen out of your body, likely with a needle. The second category is non-invasive cytology which is when you naturally remove the specimen (urine samples, pap smear, skin samples) without any type of piercing intervention.