Gastrointestinal pathology

Gastrointestinal pathology is the subspecialty of pathology that focuses on the diagnosis and characterization of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the digestive tract and accessory organs, such as the pancreas and liver.

Overview

Gastrointestinal pathology (including liver, gallbladder and pancreas) is a recognized sub-specialty discipline of surgical pathology. Recognition of a sub-specialty is generally related to dedicated fellowship training offered within the subspecialty or, alternatively, to surgical pathologists with a special interest and extensive experience in gastrointestinal pathology.

Diseases

There are numerous diseases that can affect the gastrointestinal system, including:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Gastroenteritis
• Celiac disease
• Gastric cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Hepatitis
• Cirrhosis
• Pancreatitis
• Gallstones
• Cholecystitis

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases often involves a combination of endoscopy, biopsy, and imaging studies. The role of the pathologist in diagnosing gastrointestinal disease is to examine biopsy specimens to identify the cause of the disease and to determine its severity.

Treatment

Treatment of gastrointestinal diseases can involve dietary changes, medication, or surgery, depending on the nature and severity of the disease. The role of the pathologist in treatment is to provide information that can guide the choice of treatment and to monitor the effects of treatment.

See also

• Pathology
• Digestive system
• Gastroenterology
• Hepatology
• Surgical pathology