Neuropathology

Tumors of the central nervous system and adjacent structures account for a relatively small subset of the case material encountered in general surgical pathology; however, they frequently present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for pathologists and clinicians. Among children, brain tumors are the second most common malignancy after the leukemias and lymphomas.

The 2000 WHO classification of nervous system tumors currently lists nearly 125 named tumor types, and, more recently, additional diagnostic entities with important clinical implications have emerged. The assessment of patient prognosis and evaluation of therapeutic efforts begins with an appropriate tissue diagnosis, which often requires specialized knowledge and experience in neuropathology.

Methodologies available to UF Health Pathology Laboratories Neuropathology and Eye Division include:

• Light microscopy
• Electron microscopy
• Special stains (conventional and immunohistochemistry)
• Malignant glioma analysis: fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosomes 1p and 19q