UIC provides autopsies for patients of our health system that have passed either inside or outside of our hospital. Our faculty, residents and technical staff work together in teams to provide a professional and compassionate service to families. Our autopsies are performed in a modern state-of-the-art autopsy suite.

An autopsy is a systemic examination of a deceased body to determine the cause of death and document the existence of any diseases or conditions. It is able to answer many questions posed by the family and clinicians. An autopsy is similar to a surgical procedure. Autopsies do not delay funeral arrangements or prevent open casket viewing of the body.

Within 24 hours of the autopsy we will provide a Provisional Diagnoses Report to the clinician to assist with the timely completion of the death certificate. A final autopsy report will be prepared within 30 days after review of the microscopic and other additional testing that is performed following the autopsy procedure.

​Our autopsies are only performed if there is a signed consent of the next-of-kin. Deaths that fall under specific criteria as described in Illinois law are referred to the Cook County Medical Examiner for investigation.

Cytopathology is a boarded subspecialty of Anatomic Pathology. Broadly defined it is a diagnostic discipline that requires application of distinct and discrete sets of criteria for evaluation of patient samples from diverse anatomic locations. Specific diagnostic criteria are required because the unifying theme of cytology samples is the fact that cells are dispersed and therefore present outside the context of tissue architecture. That is to say, cells are either smeared onto a slide (conventional Pap test; brushings from airway, bile duct, etc.; fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy material) or suspended in a liquid medium and processed by varying techniques as appropriate (e.g. Liquid-based Pap test; CSF; effusion fluids; FNA material). Although the primary function of a cytopathologist is to appropriately apply cytopathologic criteria to arrive at an accurate diagnosis, it is also necessary to understand specimen procurement and specimen processing. It is essential for the cytopathologist to appreciate when a diagnosis cannot and should not be preferred; to appreciate the importance of clinical history in the formulation of Differential Diagnoses; and to appreciate the impact of a cytologic diagnosis on patient management.

The cytopathologist is a patient advocate that may decide when a procedure may be performed and which ancillary tests may be indicated. A cytopathologist performs FNA biopsies or assesses adequacy of an FNA procedure performed by another practitioner and as such is directly involved in patient care. Even when the cytopathologist is not involved in the performance of procedures, appropriate interaction with clinicians is critical in ensuring that patients receive optimal care. These are all activities in which many competencies play a role and become particularly interwoven. The cytopathologist must demonstrate professionalism in communicating with both patients and health care providers, competency in performance of procedure and/or specimen interpretation, understanding of the system in which he or she is practicing, and knowledge related to specimen handling and patient management. The cytopathologist must be able to appropriately triage specimens to permit optimal diagnostic evaluation and to avoid the need for repeat procedures.

Academic activities are also an important component of the UIC Cytopathology Division. Faculty, staff and residents are always involved in projects and opportunities for presentation and publication that enhance the cytology service. All of our Cytopathologists are board-certified in Cytopathology by the American Board of Pathology. All of our cytotechnologists are certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathology. A Cytopathology Fellowship Program is offered.

Services

We offer a complete range of services including Gynecologic and Non-Gynecologic Cytology, FNA biopsy interpretation, adequacy assessment and performance, and Consultation. We are always available to discuss test requests and results with submitting physicians.

• Gynecologic Pathology
  We accept liquid-based (Thin-Prep) PAP tests. All slides are screened by highly trained and experienced cytotechnologists. Ancillary computer-assisted review will be performed if requested. Rigorous quality control practices are integrated into our service. All abnormal tests are reviewed by a cytopathologist. High-risk HPV testing, including 16/18 genotyping, is also performed in the Cytopathology Laboratory.
• Non-Gynecologic Pathology
  Our laboratory is equipped to process the whole spectrum of non-gyn cytology specimens including CSF, pleural and peritoneal fluids, urinary tract cytology, breast secretions, and FNA biopsy material, to name a few. Ancillary testing such as flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry is always available if indicated.
• FNA Biopsy Performance
  Our cytopathologists are available on demand to perform all services related to Fine Needle Aspiration biopsy, from performance to assessment of adequacy to interpretation. We perform aspiration biopsies of palpable masses, particularly in the head and neck area. We offer assessment of adequacy for image-guided aspiration biopsies of both superficial and deep-seated organs including breast, thyroid, pancreas, and liver, to name a few. We demonstrate the highest level of respect for our patients and fellow health care providers.

Consultation Services
We welcome cases for review from outside pathology laboratories, physician practice groups, healthcare organizations and individual patients. Please contact Odile David, M.D., at The University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Pathology (MC 847), 1740 W. Taylor St, Room 3116B, Chicago, IL 60612, or see contact information below for phone and email.

We accept liquid-based (Thin-Prep) PAP tests. All slides are screened by highly trained and experienced cytotechnologists. Ancillary computer-assisted review will be performed if requested. Rigorous quality control practices are integrated into our service. All abnormal tests are reviewed by a cytopathologist. High-risk HPV testing, including 16/18 genotyping, is also performed in the Cytopathology Laboratory.

Laboratory Director:
Odile David, M.D., M.P.H.
Phone: 312-355-5544
Fax:     312-996-1346

Contact Information:

• Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
• Phone: 312-996-6029
• Fax: 312-413-1346
• Address:
  Cytopathology Laboratory
  University of Illinois Hospital, Rm 3114A
  1740 W. Taylor St.
  Chicago, IL 60612

The Hematopathology Service offers comprehensive diagnostic testing and consultative services for patients with hematologic and lymphoid disorders, and is closely integrated with the Surgical Pathology, Flow Cytometry, Cytogenetics, Coagulation, and Molecular Pathology Laboratories. The Service is staffed by three board certified Hematopathologists with expertise and special interests in adult and pediatric myeloid neoplasms, lymphoid neoplasms and bone marrow failure syndromes. Hematologic and lymphoid specimens are accepted from referring pathologists and physicians for second opinion consultations.

Studies include expert morphologic, cytochemical and immunohistochemical assessments of blood and other body fluids, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues. As appropriate, morphologic studies are correlated with flow cytometric, immunophenotyping, cytogenetic, molecular and microbiology studies. Faculty members are active in clinical investigations, pathology resident and medical student training, and educational programs of national professional societies. A Hematopathology Fellowship Program is offered that prepares the trainee for an academic career in diagnostic and investigative hematopathology.

Please contact us for information on how to send specimens or to arrange for assistance with obtaining bone marrow aspirates and biopsies.

Please refer to the Laboratory Users Guide for our online searchable test database and other test-related information.

Updates and changes to laboratory tests and/or laboratory practices may be viewed in our archived Laboratory Alerts. The Department of Pathology Newsletter highlights recent advances and important topics in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

Faculty

• Frederick G. Behm, MD
• Carlos Murga-Zamallo, MD

Contact Information

• Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Phone: 312-355-3794

Clinical services include examination of central and peripheral nervous system tissues for diagnosis and  support of the mission of clinical departments including Neurology, Neurosurgery, Radiology and Psychiatry.  We perform our services in close collaboration with multiple other departmental units including but not limited to Molecular Pathology and Cytogenetics. We provide both general tissue diagnoses as well as special testing using immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization and molecular biology technology. Educational activities include teaching neuropathology to pathology, neurology and neurosurgery residents and medical students through scheduled neuropathology rotations, conferences and lectures. Research activities are performed through extensive collaboration with a number of other departments and programs including Ophthalmology, Microbiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Radiology with main research areas of nervous system infections, brain tumors, and degenerative, developmental and vascular diseases of the nervous system.

Director of Neuropathology:
Tibor Valyi-Nagy, MD, PhD
Phone: 312-996-1772

Surgical Pathology provides diagnostic services to the patients and physicians of Illinois. Our faculty and staff provide both general tissue diagnosis as well as special testing for tumor and prognostic markers. We perform our services in close collaboration with multiple other departmental units.

Surgical Pathology examines tissue for diagnosis. All tissue specimens are accessioned assigned a unique identifier. Faculty, pathology residents and pathologists’ assistants examine tissue including dissection of complex specimens and determine which sections to submit for microscopic examination. Tissue for banking and special studies is also selected at this time. Small specimens procured for diagnosis (biopsies) are given priority with expedited processing. Complex specimens may require overnight fixation to stabilize tissue for further dissection and procurement of tissue for microscopic sections. Specimens needing decalcification may require additional time. Findings of complex specimens are documented by digital imaging.

Examination of most tissue specimens includes microscopic examination and this includes processing, embedding, sectioning and staining (microscopic) slides. This process typically takes from 18 to 24 hours to complete as tissue must be carefully dehydrated and then completely infused with paraffin to stabilize the tissue for sectioning and staining.

Once microscopic slides are prepared, surgical pathologists, fellows and pathology residents review the slides and construct diagnostic reports. This slide review to posting of a final diagnosis in the UI Hospital HIS may take another 24 hours to complete and completion of reports for complex specimens requiring specialized studies typically requires additional time with most complex cases reported within five working days. All cases are reviewed and signed out by surgical pathology faculty. Surgical Pathology does not post preliminary diagnoses. Urgent reports are posted in HIS for cases with unexpected or urgent clinical needs for which a Final report cannot be posted in a timely manner.

Members of patient services may request consultation of cases by coming to the surgical pathology office (UI Hospital 3118B) during office hours. Whenever possible, calling ahead to the office at 312-996-3886 to locate slides and the appropriate resident, fellow or faculty pathologists will expedite consultation. Surgical Pathology slides and tissue blocks are kept on file. These are available for consultation. Patients may have slides sent to other institutions when patients obtain care outside of UI Hospital.

The Faculty has specialists in gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, prostate, urinary bladder, breast, skin, lung, gynecologic, oral/head and neck, neural, pediatric and ophthalmologic pathology.

Director of Surgical Pathology Services
Vikas Mehta, MD
Phone: 312-996-2921
Fax:     312-996-7586

Laboratory:

• Hours:        7:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday
• Location:    UI Hospital 3110
• Telephone: 312-413-7671

Surgical Pathology specimens are routinely accepted during these hours for processing and diagnosis by specimen receiving located in Room UI Hospital 3110, Room 3110 also provides a secure repository for routine tissue specimens outside of laboratory hours.

Intraoperative Consultation (IOC):

• Hours:      7:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday
• Off hours: Please contact pathology resident on call

IOC, with or without frozen section, is provided for the operating and procedure rooms at Illinois Medical Center. Special handling of tissue for tissue banking, clinical research and treatment protocols and lymphoma testing is provided. Kidney adequacy assessment is provided by the IOC service.

Office:

• Hours:        7:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday
• Location:    UI Hospital Room 3118
• Telephone: 312-996-3886
• Office staff: Denise McLaurin, Susan Dressen

The office staff accepts consultation cases for pathology faculty. Patients wishing to obtain materials for second opinions should contact the Surgical Pathology office.

The Surgical Pathology central office houses the transcription service of surgical pathology, billing, and customer service. This office receives all enquiries concerning the service, transcribes reports, performs intake on consultation cases, locates and distributes requested slides and reports and monitors quality assurance indicators.

Urgent Cases: Cases needing urgent attention or frozen section outside of regular laboratory hours, are accepted 24/7 by contacting the pathologist and resident on call.  See New Innovations for on call schedule.

The Transplant Pathologist is a fundamental member of health care providers managing kidney and liver transplant patients. The primary role of a transplant pathologist is to interpret biopsies in context with the clinical impression, patient’s manifestations and laboratory test results. With the ultimate goal of providing optimal patient care, the transplant pathologist also ensures specimen adequacy, prime tissue processing, triaging of special studies, and the timely communication of histopathological findings.

Responsibilities
Transplant Pathology is integral to clinical pathology sub-specialties, and services are rendered in alliance with Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Pathology, Histocompatibility and Transfusion Medicine to provide the best possible patient care. Histochemical special stains, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and in situ hybridization methods compliment tissue histopathological studies.

Academic Activities and Research
Academic activities in Transplant Pathology are extended to all levels of training in pathology, medicine and transplant surgery by microscopy, clinicopathological conferences and didactic lectures, as well as through departmental and programmatic research collaborations particularly in the study of the progression of allograft fibrosis in chronic rejection.

Laboratory Director
Suman Setty, M.D., Ph.D.
Phone: 312-996-3878
Fax: 312-996-1346

Laboratory Supervisor
Javier Sedillo, B.S.

Contact Information:

• Phone: 312-413-7671
• Fax: 312-413-1346
• Address: Anatomic Pathology Laboratory
  University of Illinois Hospital, Rm 3114A
  1740 W. Taylor St.
  Chicago, IL 60612
• Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

The primary function of a renal pathologist is to interpret the biopsy tissue in the clinical context, taking laboratory test results into account in the final interpretation. The pathologist also ensures that the specimen procured is adequate and representative and assures appropriate processing. The pathologist/assistant triages the biopsy material to optimally utilize it for testing for light, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The pathologist also interacts with clinicians to communicate critical information which ensures that patients receive optimal care.

Responsibilities

• Clinical services include examination of native and transplant renal tissue for diagnosis and support of the mission of clinical departments including Nephrology, Transplant surgery and Pediatric Nephrology. We perform our services in close collaboration with multiple other departmental units including but not limited to Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Pathology, Histocompatibility and Transfusion Medicine. In addition to histologic diagnosis we perform special testing using immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence microscopy and in situ hybridization.
• Academic and educational activities include teaching nephropathology and transplant pathology to pathology, nephrology and transplant surgery fellows, residents and medical students during nephropathology rotations, conferences and lectures.
• Research activities include extensive collaboration with a number of other departments and programs, including Transplant Medicine, Transplant Surgery, Nephrology and Pediatric Nephrology. The main research areas are diabetic nephropathy, Fourier transformed infrared microscopy for assessment of diabetic nephropathy and fibrosis, rejection and the effects of metabolic changes on renal carcinogenesis.

Native Renal Pathology
Light, Immunofluorescence and Electron Microscopy of the Kidney

Transplant Renal Pathology

• Tubulitis and interstitial inflammation is present in acute T-cell mediated rejection
• C4d is positive in the peritubular capillaries in acute antibody- mediated rejection

Laboratory Director
Suman Setty, M.D., Ph.D.
Phone: 312-996-3878
Fax: 312-996-1346

Laboratory Supervisor
Javier Sedillo, B.S.

Contact Information:

• Phone: 312-413-7671
• Fax: 312-413-1346
• Address: Anatomic Pathology Laboratory
  University of Illinois Hospital, Rm 3114A
  1740 W. Taylor St.
  Chicago, IL 60612
• Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm