Pathology is the study of disease and how it occurs. Pathology is even called the most basic medical science. In the medical world, pathology plays a role in helping doctors diagnose various diseases.
In addition to diagnosing disease, pathology is also needed to determine the cause and severity of a disease, decide on appropriate prevention and treatment steps, and monitor the effectiveness of the treatment that has been given.
Know More About the Pathology Doctor Profession
In general, there are 2 types of pathology, namely anatomical pathology and clinical pathology. In Indonesia, specialists who study this field are called anatomical pathologists (SpPA) and clinical pathology specialists (SpPK).
The main task of a pathologist is to diagnose disease in patients through examinations carried out in the laboratory. The examination includes analysis of sample pieces of organs, tissues, and body fluids, such as blood and urine.
Samples of the patient's tissue or organs are usually taken by another specialist who treats the patient (eg a surgeon or internist) through endoscopy or surgery. While blood and urine samples will usually be taken by laboratory personnel.
After the pathologist finishes the examination, the results of the pathology examination will be included in the pathology report.
The report will be given back to the patient and the treating doctor to be considered by the doctor in determining the diagnosis, severity of the disease, as well as medical treatment steps to deal with the patient's illness.
Scope of Pathology
The following is the scope of work in the field of pathology in general by type:
Anatomical pathology
Anatomical pathology is a branch of pathology that detects disease by examining samples of the patient's organs or tissues. Examination of the patient's body tissue carried out by an anatomical pathologist is called a biopsy examination.
Anatomical pathologists are often asked to identify whether there are abnormalities in the patient's tissues or cells, including diagnosing tumors or cancer. From the anatomical pathology examination, it can be determined whether a tumor is benign or malignant (cancerous) along with the stage of the cancer.
In addition to cancer, anatomical pathologists can also perform examinations to detect other diseases, such as infections, kidney or liver disease, and autoimmune diseases.
Clinical pathology
In contrast to anatomical pathology which detects disease through examination of body tissues or organs, the branch of clinical pathology focuses more on examining body fluid samples, such as:
- Blood
- Urine
- Pus
- Sputum
- Joint fluid
- Bone marrow
- Fluid in certain organs, including the brain, (cerebrospinal fluid), lungs, and abdominal cavity.
Clinical pathologists will usually be asked to analyze the fluid sample to determine the levels of certain chemicals, such as levels of minerals, cholesterol, electrolytes, blood sugar, enzymes, antibodies, to certain foreign substances (antigens) to determine whether the patient has a disease.
Different Branches of Pathology and Their Uses
In addition to the examination techniques performed, pathology can also be divided into various branches of science based on the field studied, namely:
- CytopathologyCytopathology is a branch of pathology that studies the size, shape, and characteristics of normal body cells and those with certain abnormalities or conditions. Pap smear examination is an example of an examination that applies the science of cytopathology.
- Forensic pathologyForensic pathology is a branch of pathology that is carried out to assist judicial processes or legal investigations. Forensic pathology is often applied in the post-mortem or autopsy process.
- Child pathologyPediatric pathology aims to examine abnormalities or diseases suffered by children, infants, and adolescents.
- NeuropathologyNeuropathology is performed to identify diseases that attack the brain and nervous system in the body.
- Genetic pathologyGenetic pathology is used to identify diseases associated with genetic disorders or inherited diseases (congenital diseases).
- Hematology
This branch of pathology is also widely applied in the purposes of storing blood in blood banks and the process of matching blood between donors and recipients of blood transfusions.
- MicrobiologyMicrobiological pathology deals with the diagnosis of infectious diseases, such as bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infections.
- ImmunopathologyImmunopathology is a branch of pathology that studies the immune system's response to disease.
- DermatopathologyThis branch of science studies more deeply about the characteristics of healthy skin cells and tissues with problematic skin. With dermatopathology, doctors can diagnose skin diseases, such as skin cancer, psoriasis, lichen planus, and autoimmune skin diseases.
In carrying out their duties, pathology specialists work more in the laboratory, so patients rarely meet them face-to-face. However, the role of the pathologist is very important to help doctors diagnose the patient's disease. That way, general practitioners or specialists can provide the right treatment.