Laboratory And Pathology Services

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic provides a comprehensive spectrum of tests necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of all medical problems. Internal and external quality control procedures have been developed to ensure consistent testing and integrity of results. Consultations on all problems relating to laboratory medicine and pathology are available by sending the appropriate materials to the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, or by calling (480) 301-8021.

Clinical Pathology

Consultation is available on problems relating to clinical pathology involving technical problems, laboratory organization, test ordering, and laboratory management.

Dermatopathology

Specialized services in dermatopathology are available through the Section of Dermatopathology in cooperation with the Section of Surgical Pathology. Blocks and slides are accepted for consultation and clinical correlation of inflammatory, degenerative, benign, and malignant skin diseases. Wet tissue in fixative will be processed, stained and interpreted as well. Arrangements for special stains, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy can be made. Tissue frozen in liquid nitrogen can be processed for monoclonal antibodies. Expertise, rapid processing and diagnosis of skin tissue are provided. Descriptive and differential diagnosis can be available. Reports by mail, fax or phone can be arranged. A slide will be returned with the report.

Hematopathology

Neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders of the blood, bone marrow and lymphoid organs are diagnosed in the Section of Hematopathology. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry, in conjunction with a variety of cytochemical techniques, allows precise classification of acute and chronic leukemias, lymphomas, immune deficiency states and other related disorders. Cytogenetic studies and molecular genetic analysis are offered in cooperation with specialized laboratories at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

Immunodermatology

Immunofluorescence testing of tissue is useful for diagnosis of blistering diseases (including pemphigus, pemphigoid and dermatitis herpetiformis), lupus erythematosus, lichen planus, vasculitis, and a variety of other inflammatory dermatoses.

Surgical Pathology

Expert opinions in all aspects of surgical pathology are readily available. The consultations on difficult diagnostic problems may be sent directly to individual pathologists or may be directed to the Department of Pathology. Consultative opinions and discussions will be conveyed by telephone and letter to the referring physician in a prompt manner.

Materials accepted for consultation include microscopic slides, paraffin blocks, and wet tissues. To ensure promptness, referring pathologists are asked to submit the necessary documents, including proper identification of the case and pertinent clinical information.

Additional materials, such as paraffin blocks and/or pertinent X-rays and imaging studies, might be necessary for proper interpretation of the case. Referring pathologists should utilize their judgment in sending these additional materials. Some cases, such as malignant lymphoproliferative diseases, renal biopsies, liver biopsies and others often require application of newer techniques. Thus, we have available numerous immunohistochemical stains, flow cytometry for DNA ploidy studies for cell markers, and access with our colleagues for sophisticated studies such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on tissue samples. Handling of such cases may be facilitated by a call to our department at
(480) 301-8021 prior to sending the case.

Expertise in hematopathology is provided in a cooperative manner between surgical pathology and hematology. Immunophenotyping by flow systems and cytochemical techniques allow precise classification of acute and chronic leukemias and lymphomas. More sophisticated cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies are available through our specialized Mayo Clinic laboratories in Rochester.

Consultations in dermatopathology and immunodermatology are available through our section of dermatopathology, a cooperative effort between surgical pathology and dermatology. Blocks and slides are accepted for consultation and clinical correlation of inflammatory, degenerative, benign and malignant skin diseases. Wet tissue in fixative will be processed, stained and interpreted as well. Reporting of consultative opinions will be similar to that in surgical pathology cases. A full range of diagnostic techniques, from simple to sophisticated, are available.