Department of Pathology

The Department of Pathology provides first-class diagnostic services to the entire NCCHD, including professional consultative services in pediatric and perinatal cases, most of which are rare diseases. In addition to normal inspection procedures we also use immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and molecular diagnostics to ensure precise diagnoses.

Services offered by our department include surgical pathology, cytology, autopsy, and our unique outpatient clinic, where pathologists explain the results of autopsies and surgical pathology diagnoses to patients' families.

Because pediatric tumors are rare and often composed of undifferentiated small round cells, we perform immunohistochemistry and molecular diagnostics to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Through our participation on the Tumor Board, our staff advise clinicians on patients' diagnoses, appropriate therapy, and individual patient
prognosis. We also work as a reference laboratory for clinical research on pediatric cancer.

Every year we diagnose between 40 and 50 cases where pediatric liver transplantation is necessary (biliary cholestatic diseases, congenital metabolic disorders, fulminant hepatic insufficiency). Pathology diagnosis for
transplant indication and rejection are performed as soon as possible.

Both pediatric nephritis and hereditary nephropathies are diagnosed in-house within our own department to ensure immediate and precise diagnoses.

Specialized diagnosis procedures focusing on high-risk pregnancies, multiple pregnancies and babies with various congenital anomalies.

As part of our immunohistochemistry procedure we utilize both standard immunohistochemical methods, which are invaluable in diagnosing pediatric tumors, as well as immunofluorescence, which aids in the diagnosis of nephritis and hereditary renal disease.

ISH enables the visualization of virus-infected cells. Combined with immunohistochemistry, ISH helps identify the specific type of cell that has been infected.

Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) methods, our department provides genetic analyses of various types of pediatric tumors, such as neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, childhood renal tumors, and malignant lymphoma.