HISTOPATHOLOGY

This course will be mainly focused on the morphologic and molecular techniques applied to the study of pathologic cells and tissues, crucial to provide the pathologist with the best-quality cyto-histologic samples, equipped with all the additional informations necessary to reach the most accurate diagnosis.

This course will lead the students to develop knowledge and understanding of the basic principles for the correct handling and processing of histologic and cytologic samples. Moreover, thorough knowledge and understanding of the basis of the morphologic, histochemical, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and molecular biology techniques ancillary to pathologic diagnosis will be reached. Training periods in the histopathology laboratories will allow the students to practically apply the acquired theoretical knowledge.
The students will also acquire:
- knowledge of the specific measures for safety and prevention, that will make them able to work in the Pathologic Anatomy laboratories in a mindful way, without causing damage to themselves, to collegues and to the environment;
- the ability to analize in a critical way all the phases of the technical work, reaching a judgement-making capacity that will allow them to contribute to identify and solve possible technical troubles in the laboratory procedures;
- communication skills that will be of paramount importance to estabilish cooperation with collegues and with biologist and pathologists, in order to discuss technical results and propose critical evaluation of the procedures falling within their competence. This will help to improve the quality of the technical work carried out in the pathology laboratory, eventually contributing to improve the final product, i.e. the cyto-histopathologic diagnosis;
- learning skills that will allow them to self-sufficiently follow the evolution of the technological and instrumental progress in the pathology field, in order to understand and, in case, contribute to the introduction of new technical advances. This may be especially relevant for the molecular biology techniques that are becoming more and more essential in the field of oncologic diagnosis and therapy.