Contact
Phone: (02) 7825 3311
After hours: Pathologist on call can be contacted via switchboard: (02) 7825 0000
Location: Diagnostic services building, level 2
Introduction
Histopathology, or Anatomical Pathology, is the examination of tissue samples from biopsy or surgery.
Specimens are also be sampled for other purposes including microbiology, molecular/genetic tests, enrolment for clinical trials etc, prior to placement into formalin for fixation. The specimen is then described in detail and sections are removed for microscopic examination.
These sections are processed overnight, and glass slides are prepared the next working day. Rapid same day processing may be performed for urgent small biopsy samples only.
Our pathologists examine the slides and may order extra stains/tests to be performed before providing a written diagnostic report that will be sent to the referring doctor (and may go to the patient’s GP if requested).
A report may take several days to become available, depending on complexity and workload. Urgent reports and intraoperative frozen sections are arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Our services
The Histopathology service provides specialised paediatric and perinatal anatomical pathology services to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and paediatric patients in private and public hospitals around Sydney. We support the NSW Perinatal Postmortem Service by performing perinatal autopsies and reporting placentas for many hospitals in Sydney and regional NSW.
Our pathologists report all general paediatric histopathology specimens, including, but not limited to:
- tumour biopsies and excisions
- endoscopic biopsies
- medical and transplant liver and kidney biopsies
- rectal biopsies for diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease etc, and
- a rapid frozen section service.
A limited paediatric specific range of cytology specimens (including cerebrospinal fluid and bronchoalveolar lavage etc) is also available.
Our laboratory handles a wide range of specimens, including preparation of fresh specimens for research and clinical trial enrolment. Diagnosis is aided by a range of immunohistochemistry stains, many with a specific paediatric focus including panels for progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC – MDR3, BSEP, MRP2 and CD13), and common paediatric tumours (Phox2B, NKX2.2) etc.
Our department can review cases for discussion at The Children's Hospital at Westmead's multidisciplinary team meetings and accept cases for second opinion or specialist paediatric pathology assessment.
Access to reports
Reports can only be released to the referral doctor or to the patient’s GP; the latter requiring a written request.
Specialist review referrals
Cases reported at an external laboratory can be referred to our service for second opinion, from either the referring doctor or the reporting pathologist. These cases are reviewed by all available pathologists for a consensus report.
- Please include all slides, a representative FFPE block or unstained spare slides for additional immunohistochemistry where relevant, original pathology report and relevant clinical information including imaging.
- Cases for immunohistochemistry staining require unstained (charged) slides or an FFPE block and accompanying pathology request form.
Autopsy referral process
Perinatal autopsy
Please submit the referral using NSW Health Pathology website: NSW Perinatal Postmortem Service .
We accept cases for investigation of pregnancy loss where autopsy may be of value, including unexpected fetal death, recurrent miscarriage, high risk pregnancies, fetal anomalies, or late term stillbirth.
Cases such as termination for confirmed chromosomal abnormalities, or normal babies less than 15 weeks' gestation may not be accepted for autopsy or may be limited to external examination only at the discretion of the pathologist.
- For more information please contact the Perinatal Postmortem Co-ordinator . Contact details are on the NSW Perinatal Postmortem Service webpage.
Inpatient autopsy requests
Inpatient autopsy cases can be arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Please call the Histopathology department during business hours, or the Pathologist on call via switchboard on (02) 7825 0000 after hours.
Pathology trainees
Two rotations of six months are available for RCPA (Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) Anatomical Pathology trainees interested in paediatric and perinatal pathology, and these are the main opportunity for exposure to non-coronial perinatal autopsy pathology in NSW.
