[Department Note] | [Medical Staff] | [C.M.E] | [Anatomical Pathology] | [Haematology] | [Clinical Immunology] | [Clinical Biochemistry]
ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY
General enquiry: (852) 28554727
The staff members of the Anatomical Pathology division in the Department of Pathology & Clinical Biochemistry have both great depth and breadth of expertise in diagnostic surgical pathology. The Histopathology service is very busy, in which efficiency and accuracy of specimen handling and diagnosis and "one on one" teaching are emphasized. Training is closely supervised by senior staff, although juniors are encouraged to develop a sense of confidence and independence. During their rotations, trainees are responsible for the gross description, dissection, and microscopic review of the specimens. Approximately 30,000 cases are processed annually by this service. The types of case range from the uncomplicated to highly complex specimens derived from the numerous patient referrals to this tertiary care complex. In addition, about 300 consultations are referred for review or expert opinion and these complement and augment the surgical pathology material.
Approximately 700 urgent frozen section cases, producing about 1,300 frozen sections, are performed each year and ancillary special studies, such as immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy and increasingly, molecular pathology studies are performed on a significant percentage of accessions. Interesting and/or current cases are reviewed and discussed at a series of subspecialty meetings (see Continuing Medical Education Sections).
Training in Anatomical Pathology includes rotations in autopsy pathology, histopathology, and cytopathology. Trainees are able to follow short rotations in haematopathology, molecular diagnostics, and cytogenetics, neuropathology, renal pathology, forensic pathology, and electron microscopy.
Trainees are closely supervised by senior staff and, in addition to being trained to deal with the entire spectrum of surgical pathology specimens, they learn how to present information in scientific forums by regularly participating in inter- and intradepartmental conferences. Besides service duties, resident trainees also play an active role in the teaching of medical and dental students of the University of Hong Kong Medical Faculty and Dental Faculty.
Initially trainees are assigned to cytopathology for an intensive three months training, but they may elect to spend additional time in this area. The laboratory processes about 11,000 non-gynaecological and 15,000 gynaecological specimens annually. The non-gynaecological specimens are quite varied and include about 3,600 fine needle aspirates.
As all cytology cases, except those from a defined cervical screening service, are seen and signed out by medical staff, the exposure to cytology is very broad. All gynaecological screening negative cases are rescreened. Trainees are responsible for checking and making any necessary modifications to the computer report prior to attending the daily sign-out session with senior staff. They also attend image-guided (CT, ultrasound, mammographic) fine needle aspiration sessions performed in conjunction with Department of Radiology. There the trainee is taught how to prepare aspirates for rapid, on-site evaluation as well as determine the need and obtain suitable material for ancillary studies. Trainees are taught the art and interpretation of fine needle aspiration of superficial lesions. They are then able to participate in the FNA clinics held each week in the department as well as attend to ward patients.
The cytopathology laboratory has an extensive collection of educational material as well as a large collection of slide teaching sets that are used for workshops. All teaching material is available to the trainees. In addition, trainees are able and expected to attend internal cytology/histopathology correlation sessions, where discrepant cases are discussed with the cytotechnology staff and dealt with, as well as intra-departmental correlation sessions, such as the colposcopy/cytology/histology or breast cytology/radiology sessions. Trainees are also encouraged to participate in cytopathology staff didactic sessions.
Over 200 autopsies are performed annually. Consisting of a mix of clinical, paediatric, neonatal, fetal and coronial cases; these represent the wide spectrum of diseases encountered at The Queen Mary Hospital and the cluster hospitals. The on-site presence of experts in Forensic Medicine is an added bonus to trainees.
The autopsy service serves as an initial introduction to surgical pathology for many of the trainees and so First year trainees are intimately involved with the autopsy service and spend approximately four months on service. All autopsies are conducted under the supervision of senior staff. Gross pathology findings are presented at a weekly gross conference attended by most of the trainees and staff members. Trainees often present their autopsy findings at special interdepartmental conferences, affording the trainee an opportunity to sharpen presentation skills and interact with clinical colleagues.
Trainees are instructed in proper dissection techniques as well as in the interpretation of histologic sections and ancillary studies as required. Finally, the autopsy service serves as an important forum for the instruction of medical and dental students.
Anatomical Pathology Staff List
Consultant / Senior Clinical Pathologist:
Dr.
Robert J. COLLINS
(Chief of Service, Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry)
MBBS, FRCPA, FHKAM(Pathology), FHKCPath, FIAC
Senior Medical Officers:
Dr.
Carolyn CHOY
MBBS, FRCPA
Dr.
Tony W.H. SHEK
MBBS, FRCPA, FHKCPath, FHKAM(Pathology)
Dr.
Nigel TRENDELL-SMITH
BSc(Experimental Pathology); MBBS; MRCPath
Dr.
YUEN Siu Tsan
MBBS, FRCS Ed, MRCPath, FHKCS, FHKAM(Pathology)
Medical Officers:
Dr.
Gavin CHAN
MBBS
Dr.
Patricia Fan
MBBS
Dr.
Philip IP
MBChB Glasgow; MRCPath; FHKCPath
Dr.
Florence LOONG
MBBS HK; FRCPA; FHKAM(Pathology); FHKCPath
Dr.
Albert Wong
MBChB
Last Modified: 04-Jun-2004