Pathology

Pathology is the study of disease and disease processes. This branch of medicine is often used for diagnosis of conditions so treatment may be implemented. There are two large branches of pathology: Gross pathology and Clinical Pathology.

Gross pathology involves viewing disease both on a basic visual level and a microscopic level as well. The most common form of gross pathology is probably histopathology. Histopathology involves cutting sections of tissue to be viewed under a microscope. In this way, a specialist can determine if disease is present in the tissues. This is a common procedure whenever a biopsy of tissue is taken or tissue is surgically removed from the body.

Clinical pathology involves the many laboratory tests that are performed on body fluids and other samples. The most common tests are done on blood. These tests screen for various conditions and diseases and aid greatly in diagnosis.

At Memorial-610 Hospital for Animals, we routinely use both gross and clinical pathology to aid in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. We have in-house diagnostic testing available for fast and accurate results when time is of the essence. We also utilize a few collaborative referral laboratories when specialized testing is needed or when time is not critical.