Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry

DEPARTMENT NOTE

Department of Pathology & Clinical Biochemistry and Department of Microbiology & Virology at Queen Mary Hospital constitute the Hospital Pathology Services (HPS) that serves the Hong Kong West Cluster. Its service also extends to other health care institutions in both the public and private sectors territory-wide at the tertiary level. HPS works closely with its counterparts from the LKS School of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in service delivery and training for medical students, pathologists, laboratory scientists and technicians. The whole organization of HPS has been accredited by the College of American Pathologists since 2002, attesting to its internationally recognized standard and quality of service.

Department of Pathology & Clinical Biochemistry (the Department) at Queen Mary Hospital comprises 5 divisions, namely Anatomical Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology & Blood Bank, Clinical Immunology as well as Transplantation & Immunogenetics.

Apart from providing a comprehensive pathology service capable of meeting the diverse clinical demand in a teaching hospital, the Department, together with the Department of Pathology of HKU, offers training both to junior and advanced trainees in pathology with a training programme of unsurpassed diversity in a setting where many aspects of pathology are united in a single department. All training posts in Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology and Immunology are approved by the Hong Kong College of Pathologists (HKCPath), the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) and the Royal College of Pathologists of the United Kingdom (RCPath). In addition to the comprehensive training programmes in all aspects of mono-specialty pathology, the Department also accommodates the requirements of the more recently established Combined Anatomical Pathology and Clinical Pathology training of HKCPath. The inter-hospital rotation of trainees, as strongly recommended in the Training and Examinations Regulations of HKCPath, is encouraged and facilitated.

These training posts are designed to permit individuals to acquire the necessary background training for academic careers as well as specialty practice. Professional growth is fostered by encouraging each trainee to assume gradually increasing responsibilities and by blending practical experience with extensive teaching exercises in basic areas. A pattern of continuing self-education and intellectual awareness is also developed within the programme.

We have traditionally emphasized excellence in scholarship and research as well as the clinical practice of pathology. The department faculty includes persons with established reputations in most major areas of pathology. Its research programmes are first rate and deal with a wide variety of topics such as neoplasia in various organs, transplantation and particularly areas related to regionally important diseases. The Department has a Molecular Biology programme which is active in both research and diagnostic areas.

Queen Mary Hospital is a very large teaching institution, providing a broad range of tertiary care to patients from all over Hong Kong and the region. A close relationship exists between Queen Mary Hospital and the LKS School of Medicine of HKU nearby. This partnership offers staff members of both institutions a mutually satisfying and advantageous environment with strong academic and practical support, as well as the general intellectual stimulation that results from membership in a community of scholars.

Staff from the Department work closely with the academic staff from the university department of pathology to provide a comprehensive range of CAP accredited diagnostic laboratory service in Anatomical Pathology, Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Immunology, Haematology & Blood Bank, and Transplantation & Immunogenetics. Currently there are 5 Consultants, 8 Associate Consultants/Senior Medical Officers, 2 Resident Specialists, 5 Resident Trainees and 8 Scientific Officers in the Department.

The Anatomical Pathology Division provides services in histopathology, cytopathology, molecular pathology and autopsy to Queen Mary and other hospitals in the Hong Kong West Cluster as well as other private and public hospitals in the territory on a referral basis. Pathologists with subspecialty training and interest are available for consultation on most organ systems. The clinical practice of Anatomical Pathology is supported by a general core laboratory and a number of special laboratories, including immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, image analysis and molecular pathology.

The Haematology & Blood Bank Division similarly provides a comprehensive diagnostic and consultative service to Queen Mary Hospital and others, as well as a 24-hour blood banking service covering the whole HKWC. It is one of the three laboratories within the HA that are funded to provide cytogenetic, genomic and genetic testing for blood cancers. It works closely with the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre at QMH and also plays a crucial role in the management of patients with haemophilia and thalassaemia. Furthermore, haematopathologists from the division provide 24-hour consultative service on a duty roster.

The Clinical Immunology Division provides a wide range of laboratory tests for diagnosis and monitoring of immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, allergy and monoclonal gammopathy. Referral service is also provided to other hospitals/clinics in and outside Hong Kong. The laboratory handles clinically relevant immunochemistry, autoantibody, flow cytometry, lymphocyte and neutrophil function tests. It is the only centre in Hong Kong that is accredited by HKCPath, RCPA and RCPath for training in immunology.

The Clinical Biochemistry Division provides both routine and special testing, as well as consultation services to Queen Mary Hospital. It also provides special diagnostic and consultation services, largely on a referral basis, to both the public and private healthcare sectors of Hong Kong outside Queen Mary Hospital. The repertoire of tests provided by the Division includes assays for hormones, immunosuppressants, therapeutic drug monitoring, heavy and toxic metals in biological fluid and tissues, trace elements, esoteric lipids and intermediates in cholesterol biosynthesis, clinical toxicology, biochemical and genetic work-up for neurometabolic diseases and inherited metabolic diseases. A range of tests important for clinical emergencies are provided on an urgent basis round-the-clock and covered by duty biochemist on roster. It also provides special diagnostic support and consultation service to hospitals in Macau on a referral basis. The Division has been involving in the training of endocrinologists in Hong Kong and clinical laboratory personnel from Macau since the late 90s'.

The Transplantation & Immunogenetics Division provides specialized histocompatibility testing for patients awaiting bone marrow and organ transplantation, and for patients with diseases associated with certain HLA antigens and pharmacogenetics service. It works closely with all renal centres in Hong Kong to provide HLA typing, anti-HLA antibody test and lymphocyte crossmatch for patients worked up for kidney transplantations. It also supports the Bone Marrow Transplant Centres in Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital. The division also works closely with the Transplant Coordinators to help carry out the wishes of deceased organ donors in Hong Kong and with the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry for finding the best matched unrelated donors or cord blood units.

Last Modified: 17-May-2012