Anatomical

histology

LabPLUS is part of Auckland District Health Board
and provides medical laboratory testing


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Services

ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY

Cytology

Electron Microscopy

Immunohistochemistry

Histology

Key Contacts:
Dr Joe McDermott, Technical Head
Dr Graeme Taylor, Clinical Head

Anatomical Pathology is an IANZ Accredited laboratory comprised of several disciplines, all of which interconnect and communicate with each other to provide a quality of service that is unequalled in New Zealand. Our department is a major referral laboratory, and as such not only do we service four of the major hospitals within in New Zealand (Auckland City Hospital, Starship Children's Health, Greenlane Clinical Centre and National Women's Health), but we also receive referral work from other hospitals around the country and from the Pacific Islands. This means the laboratory deals with a very broad range of specimens and to service this diversity we have Consultant Pathologists and Technical staff whose experience and specialist knowledge is second to none.

The laboratory undergoes regular and rigorous audits both internally and externally such as that offered by the RCPA, and our medical and technical staff attend and present papers at conferences not only within New Zealand but around the world. We also assist in research projects on a local and global scale. All of this ensures that our methods, training, expertise and knowledge conforms to the highest standards expected not only by our peers and the community at large but also the standards we expect of ourselves.

We enjoy a close association with the University of Auckland Medical School, where several of our Consultant Pathologists provide their services for lecturing and training medical students in Anatomical Pathology. We also liaise with Otago and Massey Universities and the Auckland University of Technology where we encourage, train and support students into the technical side of our field of expertise.

Cytology

The cytology department provides a quality service processing both gynaecological and non-gynaecological specimens, which are prepared, stained and microscopically examined by our experienced and well-qualified staff of lab assistants, technicians, technologists and pathologists.

Non-Gynaecological

Effusions

Urines

Respiratory

Fine Needle Aspirates (FNA)

Lymph Nodes

Breast

Thyroid

Lung

Our pathologists perform FNA's and also attend FNA clinics. They provide histology and cytology correlation, training for registrars and attend multidisciplinary meetings.

Gynaecological

Cervical Smears (Conventional and ThinPrep)

As a hospital based laboratory our workload primarily involves referral, high-risk and follow-up cases, which increases the rate of abnormalities. These cases are fully screened by two technologists and reported by a pathologist if abnormal.

Technologists are involved in teaching university students both on placement in the lab and at Auckland University of Technology. Since the late 1960's this laboratory has offered a two-year correspondence course in cytology. This continues today. Run by technologists, it attracts students from New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific and South East Asia.

Quality Assurance

The department is enrolled in the RCPA Quality Assurance Programme. All staff attend regular conferences and tutorials, nationally and internationally and have access to the latest cytology journals as well as the Internet.

New Reporting System for Cervical Cytology July 2005

A New Zealand modification of the Bethesda System 2001 has been implemented nationally in laboratories on all gynaecological smears collected on and after July 1st 2005. Reports will have:

Precise and standardised terminology

Significant reduction in codes

Removal of "satisfactory but limited" category

New layout with headings

Adequacy (satisfactory or unsatisfactory)

General (negative or abnormal)

Interpretation (infection; reactive; abnormality)

Recommendation (repeat or referral)

For more information visit websites

http://www.nsu.govt.nz

www.cytopathology.org

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Electron Microscopy

The EM laboratory processes tissue for ultrastructural examination by Transmission Electron Microscopy, and is based at the Biomedical Imaging Research Unit at the School of Medicine of the University of Auckland. The microscope used is an Hitachi H-7000 (to view an image of the TEM Please click here) which houses a MegaView II digital camera with images captured using analySIS® software (click here (15Mb) to download a free copy of the SIS image viewer).

We routinely perform TEM on tissues such as native renal and muscle biopsies as well as tumour material. We can also provide images of non-histological tissue as required. The images we produce are supplied for your convenience on CD-ROM together with, if required, a written description of Native Renal biopsies from one of our Technologists.

To make use of this service please contact either the department directly so we can arrange a supply of fixative and delivery instructions, or visit the LabPLUS Test Guide for more details.

To find out more about the BIRU of the School of Medicine, please click here.
To find out more about the Soft Imaging System®, please click here.

Please click here to see EM Referral Images (A password is required)

Disclaimer:
The link to other websites is provided for convenience as part of the service we offer at this website. However, LabPlus cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content. Visitors who rely on this information do so at their own risk.

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Immunohistochemistry

Our Immunohistochemistry section offers over 160 primary antibodies, ranging from hormone receptor localisation to detection of the more specialised proteins in tumour differentiation.

The antibodies we use are produced by well-known and proven manufacturers such as Dako, Cell Margue and Novacastra, and to compliment this quality we are fully automated with 3 Ventana Benchmark Ultra machines because they:

offer superior sensitivity

increase the reliability

eliminate the possibility of error

give a faster turn around time

We can also offer Direct Immunofluorescence for fresh tissues such as skin or renal biopsies.

Histology

The Histopathology Laboratory of LabPlus is a modern enterprising department with a goal to serve our customers while striving for perfection. Our dedicated team consists of 14 Pathologists, 13 Technical and 4 Clerical Staff, and combines a total workload of more than twenty thousand cases.

Apart from routine H&E and a large variety of Special Stains, we are also able to offer the more specialised techniques of:

Direct Immunofluorescence

Immunohistochemistry (more than 160 diagnostic antibodies are available)

Muscle Histochemistry

Frozen Sections

Electron

A 24 hour on-call service is available (Mainly used by liver and renal transplant teams)

For more information on how we can be of service to you please contact either the department directly, visit the LabPLUS Test Guide

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