AB 103. Respiratory pathology in genetic era
Background: Department of Pathology was founded in 1960. with the establishment of the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases. Laboratories for histology, cytology, immunohistochemistry and autopsy unit are integral part of this department.
Patients and methods: In histopathologic laboratory over 10,000 endoscopical and surgical biopsies, with ex tempore analyzes annually, are technically prepared and processed by using standard as well as special stainings. Over 6000 samples per year obtained by exfoliative cytology: sputum, pleural, pericardial and abdominal effusions, aspiration cytology: transthoracic fine needle aspiration (FNA), and samples obtained during bronchoscopy: lavage, brushes and transbronchial fine needle aspiration biopsy (obtained during endobronchial ultrasound guided (EBUS) FNA) and bronchoalveolar lavage are processed in the laboratory for cytology. May Grunwald Giemsa and Papanicolaou stainings are used for all cytological specimens and in many cases cell blocks are prepared too for ancillary technics. Laboratory for immunohistochemistry disposes of 43 tumor markers for the diagnosis and differentiation of primary and secondary lung tumors, malignant mesothelioma, lymphoma and thymoma and annually performs over 300 analyzes. Over 200 autopsies per year are performed in the autopsy unit. Predominant field of work is thoracic pathology, but we are also dealing with cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and gynecological pathology.
Results: Today The Department of Pathology employs 1 biologist, 6 laboratory technicians and 3 autopsy assistents as well as 2 pathologist, 3 cytopathologist and 1 resident. As the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases is university hospital all doctors, 4 PhD and 2 postgraduate students are engaged in the educational work. Teachers participate in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at Medical Faculty in Novi Sad, Banja Luka and Foca (Serbian Republic). The Department of Pathology from the very beginning enforced specialization in Pathology and subspecialization in Medical Cytology. In the cooperation with the Center for Continuing Education, several educational seminars in the field of pathology and cytology has been organized.
Conclusions: The future of this deprtment is the automatization and standardization of working processes, control improvement, continuing education of all employees and greater engagement in the field of research. Introducing of genetic and molecular techniques for better diagnosis and individualized therapy is our task in the next few years.
