HISTOPATHOLOGY

Histopathology is the microscopic examination of biological tissues to observe the appearance of diseased cells and tissues in very fine detail.

The word "histopathology" is derived from a combination of three Greek words:

histos meaning tissue,
pathos meaning disease or suffering, and
logos which refers to study in this context*.
Hence histopathology is the study of microscopic changes or abnormalities in tissues that are caused as a result of diseases.
Uses of Histopathology

The main use of histopathology is in clinical medicine where it typically involves the examination of a biopsy (i.e. a surgically removed sample or specimen taken from a patient for the purposes of detailed study) by a specialist physician called a pathologist. Depending on his or her specialist training and main area of work, the pathologist may be more accurately referred to as a histopathologist because medical specialists who study and interpret diseased tissues in microscopic detail are histopathologists. However, in the cases of some pathologists, examination of diseased tissues in microscopic detail may only be a relatively minor part of their overall professional responsibilities so the term "histopathologist" may not always be used. A pathologist or histopathologist studies specimens of cells and tissue after a sample has been removed from the patient, processed using special histological techniques - some of which are summarised on the page about how to prepare histology slides, and carefully prepared histological sections of the specimen have been placed on slides and stained using histology stains ready for observation using a microscope. Either a light microscope or an electron microscope may be used to examine histology slides.

Histopathologists are medical specialists who have broad knowledge and understanding of the pathological and clinical aspects of disease. They work with a wide range of patients and medical conditions as well as with many other medical professionals who have expertise in associated disciplines, as well as with an ever-increasing range and complexity of technologies including some medical imaging equipment such as electron microscopes. Sub-specialties associated with histopathology include cytopathology, forensic pathology, neuropathology and paediatric pathology.