Dermatology
Working with Dermatologists to provide expert pathology advice and results for patients.
Advance Histopathology Laboratory (AHLab) works very closely with Dermatologists to help diagnose various skin diseases including skin cancers.
Our expert team reviews biopsy specimens provided by a dermatologist and uses state-of-the-art technology to look in-depth at the tissues to make an in-depth expert diagnosis.
With more than 3,000 skin diseases, some of which are very challenging to interpret, our rapid and expert advice provides accurate results to assist patient diagnosis and inform decisions regarding further treatment where required.
What is dermatopathology?
Dermatopathology is a subspeciality of histopathology that combines the disciplines of dermatology and pathology to diagnose and characterise skin diseases using various histological techniques.
A dermatopathologist is highly trained in the study of skin pathology to diagnose disorders of the skin under a microscope. They work very closely with dermatologists who treat the patient and provide biopsy specimens to analyse the tissue and make a diagnosis that will inform treatment options.
Dermatology at AHLab
Dermatopathology experts
At AHLAB our highly experienced team includes Dr Justin Weir, Dr Ahmed Ali, Dr Marcin Ligaj, Dr Marzena Ratynska and Dr Sepideh Amin, whose areas of expertise include dermatopathology. Their in-depth knowledge in specific dermatology disorders helps them provide dermatologists with accurate histological analysis to treat their patients in a personalised way.
Clinicians often rely on visual examination and medical history to diagnose skin conditions. However, some diseases require microscopic evaluation to confirm the diagnosis accurately. Following an initial patient assessment by a dermatologist, a patient biopsy will be sent to us for histological examination. Our expert team will undertake a microscopic examination to determine any cellular changes indicative of various skin diseases. This detailed, specialist analysis helps aid accurate and rapid diagnosis to determine ongoing personalised patient treatment.
The microscopic evaluation by our dermatopathologists reveals the cellular changes indicative of various skin diseases; inflammatory skin disorders require close cooperation between the pathologists and dermatopathologists to reach a conclusion.
Lesions of the skin are very common, but it is vital to identify and then classify the rarer types of malignant skin conditions, particularly melanoma, which can be very difficult to diagnose. Our team are specialists in classifying including benign moles and tumours, atypical precancerous lesions and common skin cancers such as basal cell and squamous carcinomas and malignant melanomas to ensure accurate diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment planning. By using a range of specialist techniques including immunochemistry, we are able to identify any specific cellular components or markers associated with particular diseases, assisting in differentiation and classification of skin conditions.
Benefits of dermatopathology
Precise histological diagnosis positively impacts clinical outcomes and reduces the need for unnecessary patient procedures. Dermatologists can select appropriate treatments initiate early interventions to provide personalised patient care. Dermatopathology services offered by AHL can also assist clinicians with the following:
- Differentiating benign and malignant lesions:
By analysing cellular features and invasion depth it is possible to identify between benign and malignant skin lesions. This is vital to identify a cancerous lesion and allowing prompt and effective treatment.
- Determining disease progression:
Histology helps clinicians to monitor disease progression and the effectiveness of treatment. Further biopsies allow monitoring of the patient response to therapy, allowing timely modifications in treatment plans when needed.
- Tumour margin identification:
When surgical excisions are required, histological analysis provides vital information to identify tumour free margins. This ensures complete removal of any cancer to reduce recurrence.
- Inflammatory skin disorders:
The clinical characteristics of inflammatory skin conditions are similar. This makes diagnosis difficult. Our expert dermatopathologists are all able to distinguish between specific inflammatory diseases. This is essential to assist in accurate and appropriate patient treatment.
The evaluation of alopecia also requires a very careful protocol in the laboratory to orientate the hair follicles both horizontally and vertically for interpretation by our specialists in alopecia.
Why choose AHLab?
We take the utmost care to examine the tissue in depth and deploy additional special techniques. Your biopsy is in the hands of an expert team who are highly experienced and work to the highest professional standards to ensure you get the right diagnosis swiftly.
Get in touch:
For more information about our dermatopathology histology diagnostic services, please read our user guide or
Email: [email protected]