The Department of Pathology offers diagnostic services for inpatients and outpatients of NIMS Hospital as well as to the referrals from outside hospitals/ institutes.

Location of Pathology Lab & its Various Facilities:

     Pathology Lab is located on 2^nd Floor of OPD Block

Location of various facilities in Pathology Lab with Contact Details

The services offered are as follows:

Histopathology/ Surgical Pathology:

The Department has well established histopathology/ surgical pathology service with state of art equipment and qualified technical staff with vast experience. We process more than 10,000 samples per year. Apart from routine H& E staining, the Department offers large numbers of special stains (List is provided below). The Department has established sub-speciality services with trained and experienced faculty in the following areas.

Neuropathology: We offer comprehensive workup for both neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of CNS. The department offers wide panel of immunohistochemical markers (IHC) required for diagnosis and classification of CNS lesions including molecular diagnosis of glioma. We also have for facility for Flouresecent In-situ Hybridization (FISH) studies for 1p/19q deletion studies and others.

We are one of the very few labs in the country to offer muscle and nerve biopsy services. We have facility for wide range of special and enzyme histochemical stains on muscle and nerve biopsies like ATPase, SDH, NADH, COX, COX-SDH, MGT, Masson Trichrome, LFB, K-Pal and others.In addition we offer IHC on muscle biopsies for classification of dystrophies and inflammatory myopathies like Dystrophin 1, 2, 3, Sarcoglycans alpha,beta,gamma and delta, dysferlin, merosin, emerin and MHC class I & II.

Renal Pathology: We offer comprehensive work up for medical renal diseases and renal transplant pathologies with light microscopic and immunofluorescence studies. Immunohistcohemistry with PLA2R, C4D, SV40, CMV are also available. Immunofluorscence panel includes IgM, IgA, IgG, C3, C1q and Kappa and lambda light chains.

Breast Pathology: We offer wide range of IHC stains including ER,PR, HER-2neu & Ki67. Facility for HER-2-neu testing by FISH is also available.

Bone, Joint & Soft tissue Pathology: Wide panel of IHC makers is available for diagnosis and classification of these lesions. FISH studies for Ewings tumor (EWS break-apart studies)) and, Synovial Sarcoma (SS18 break-apart studies) are available.

Lymphnode Pathology: Extensive panel of immunohistochemical markers is available for classification of lymphomas.

Pulmonary Pathology: We offer diagnostic services for neoplastic and non neoplastic lung diseases. We offer IHC studies for classification of lung carcinomas.

Cytopathology:

The Department of Pathology has a well established cytopathology divison for handling both both exfoliative and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples. We process more than 5000 cytology samples per year. FNACs of palpable masses are done in the department. Apart from routine cytology stains (PAP & MGG) we offer special stains and immunocytochemistry on cytology samples. Cytospin smears and cell block preparation are also done routinely.

Special Hematology:

The special hematology division offers facility for Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA), Bone Marrow Biopsy and Hemolytic work-up (Sickling, Osmotic fragility, G6PD deficiency screening, PNH, fetal hemoglobin estimation). The Department has a dedicated procedure room for performing BMA and BMB. Apart from routine stains like Geimsa, we offer special stains and emnzyme histochemical stains like Perls, PAS, LAP, SBB, MPO, NSE, Acid phospatase, TRAP and others. The special hematology division handles more than 2500 samples per year.

Apart from the above we process samples for coagulation studies and flow cytometry.

Coagulation Studies: Tests available include Hemostasis screening profile (PT, APTT, TT, Fibrinogen, Platelet count, Urea clot lysis  for FXIII screening, Ivy’s Bleeding time and peripheral smear examination), DIC profile (PT, APTT, TT, Fibrinogen, Platelet count, D-Dimer and peripheral smear examination), Thrombotic profile (Protein C, Protein S, Antithrombin III, APCR), LAC (DRVVT), Mixing studies, Inhibitor screening, vWF Ag levels & Factor Assays (FVIII, FIX, FX, FV, FVII)

Flow cytometry: Tests available including panels for ALL, AML, CLPDs, PNH testing, Stem cell enumeration, lymphocyte subset enumeration, DHR assay and HLA B27 testing.

Cytogenetics & FISH studies:  

Blood & bone marrow samples are processed for Cancer cytogenetics and Fanconi anemia.  Chromosomal breakage studies are performed for suspected Fanconi anemia. Molecular studies (Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization) are done for hematogic malignancies (CML, APL, MDS, AMLs & Burkitt Leukemia/lymphoma)

Clinical Pathology:

The department has a well established Clinical Pathology division with state of art equipment like fully automated hematology analysers to perform all the routine blood tests like CBCs, Hemograms, RBC indices, WBC counts & platelets. We also offer automated reticulocyte counting. Peripheral smears of all the abnormal cases are screened by the resident doctors/ faculty. Rapid strip tests for malaria are available.

Clinical pathology also processes urine samples for complete urine examinations (physical, chemical examination and microscopy). The other test offered by the clinical pathology division include body fluid (pleural, pericardial, CSF, Ascitic) cell counts, Semen analysis, Synovial fluid analysis including examination for crystals, Stool for occult blood, urine for hemosiderin, myoglobin, eosinophils and fat globules.

We handle 500-600 blood samples and 250-350 urine samples per day.

The clinical pathology offers round the clock services for the following tests:

EMERGENCY CLINICAL PATHOLOGY TESTS LIST

• CBC
• HB
• PCV
• TLC, DLC
• Platelet counts,
• HB, TLC
• Periphermal smear examination (only for specific abnormality)
• Smear for MP/MF
• Strip test for MP
• Urine sugar + Ketones
• CSF counts
• Body fluid counts (pleural/ pericardial and ascitic)

Immunohistochemistry (IHC): The Department has been offering IHC service since more than 15 years with continuous expansion of antibody panel.  At present our IHC panel includes nearly 100 antibodies (list is provided below) and we are in the process of expanding it further to cater to the needs of our patients. The Department has a well established immunohistochemistry lab with qualified and highly experienced technical staff. We were one of the first lab in state to adopt automation for IHC. Since last more than 8 years all our IHCs are done by automated instruments. We presently have fully automated IHC stainer to perform all our IHC stains.

Immunofluroscence: We offer immunofluorescence studies on renal biopsies and skin biopsy samples.

Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization (FISH): We perform FISH studies on hematology, cytology and histopathology samples. Some of FISH studies done in our lab are listed below.

• BCR-ABL
• PML-RARA
• 1p/19q
• Her 2-neu
• SS18 Break Apart
• EWS Break Apart

We keep updating the list as per the requirement.

Autopsy Services:

We offer round the clock autopsy services for non-medico legal NIMS Hospital deaths on request. We perform whole body as well as partial autopsies. We also process Fetal autopsies samples which are performed by Medical Genetics Department. The organs are sent for gross & microscopic examination to the Pathology department.