Digital pathology

Digital Pathology is a sub-field of Pathology that involves managing and interpreting digital information for a pathological analysis. It is also known as Virtual Microscopy, where it involves the practice of converting glass slides into digital slides that can be viewed, managed, and analyzed.

Overview

Digital Pathology is an image-based information environment enabled by computer technology that allows for the management of information generated from a digital slide. It is enabled in part by virtual microscopy, which is the practice of converting glass slides into digital slides that can be viewed, managed, and analyzed on a computer monitor. With the advent of Whole-Slide Imaging, the field of digital pathology has exploded and is currently regarded as one of the most promising avenues of diagnostic medicine to achieve even better, faster and cheaper diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of cancer and other important diseases.

Applications

Digital Pathology is used in diagnostic medicine, where it aids in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases such as cancer. It is also used in drug development where it aids in the design of new drugs and in the evaluation of their efficacy. Digital Pathology is also used in education, where it aids in the teaching of pathology to medical students and residents.

Advantages

The advantages of Digital Pathology include the ability to create a permanent record of the slide, which can be used for future reference, the ability to share the slide with other pathologists for consultation, and the ability to use computer algorithms to assist in the interpretation of the slide.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of Digital Pathology include the high initial cost of equipment and the ongoing cost of storage for the digital slides. There is also a learning curve associated with the use of the new technology.

See Also

• Pathology
• Virtual Microscopy
• Whole-Slide Imaging

Digital pathology Resources
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