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Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences

Dermopathology Laboratory

Dermatopathology represents the perfect integration of the clinical and histological aspects of dermatology with the goal of achieving a correct diagnosis, for better patient management and diagnostic support in clinical dermatology. Currently a large part of dermatopathology is carried out at the Dermatopathology Laboratory at the U.O. Dermatologia Patrizi (university facility with technical staff and a university medical doctor as prinicipal investigator), with the collaboration of the Pathological Anatomy group of Prof. D’Errico and the Hemolymphopathology Laboratory of Prof. Sabattini for the immunocytochemical techniques and molecular biology in certain selected cases. The dermatopathological skills required for dermatological clinical activities have proved to be a winning weapon in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Our Unità Operativa, with its Dermatopathology Laboratory, represents a perfect union-- inseparable and highly specific-- for the optimal management of patients. It is also an excellent reference center for the study of inflammatory diseases and skin, nail, and hair neoplasms, with a progressive increase in the number of cases handled and requests received for national and international consultations, as demonstrated by the numerous scientific publications produced every year.

Research areas:

a) Microscopically controlled surgery according to Mohs

(currently the only public entity at the national level which conducts this type of surgery, fundamental for achieving oncological progressiveness for non-melanoma cutaneous neoplasia)

b) Dermatopathology for the study of inflammatory diseases of the skin related to the diagnostic-therapeutic path of inpatients of Dermatology and IRCCS Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, bedside consulting, and outpatients of U.O. Dermatologia-Patrizi and the metropolitan area of Bologna.

c) Biopsies of vascular ulcers in correlation with the hemodynamic characteristics (Progetto Polidisciplinare Interdipartimentale Ulcere–U.O.C. Chirurgia Vascolare-Gargiulo Dr. M. Mirelli- U.O.C. Dermatologia-Patrizi, ambulatorio Lesioni Aperte; director Dr. T. Bianchi ).

d) Pathology of rare, inflammatory dermatological diseases (skin and subcutaneous tissue), in collaboration with the outpatient clinic Pediatria Dermatologica delle Malattie Rare (Dr. I.Neri) U.O.C.Dermatologia-Patrizi.

e) Direct microscopic research of fungal infections in skin and subcutaneous tissue

f) Tzank cytodiagnostic test for the diagnosis of bullous and inflammatory diseases and the rapid diagnosis of of herpetic infections

g) Direct miscroscopic examination, fungal nail culture examinations

h) Direct Cutaneous Immunoflurescence

i) Histological study of skin appendages:

  • Horizontal scalp sections for the qualitative and quantitative study of the follicular units in alopecias (the only laboratory at the national and European level); vertical scalp sections for the diagnosis of inflammatory pathologies, in collaboration with the outpatient clinic dedicated to the study of skin appendages (U.O.C. Dermatologia-Patrizi, director Prof. B.M. Piraccini).
  • Nail biopsies for the diagnosis of inflammatory and malignant pathologies of the nail, in collaboration with the outpatient clinic dedicated to the study of skin appendages (U.O.C. Dermatologia-Patrizi, directors Prof. B.M. Piraccini, Dr. M. Starace).

Teaching activity:

In the dermatopathology laboratory the teaching activities include lessons for the students of Medicine, Biology, Biotechnology, doctors in specialized training for dermatology e venereology.

Instrumentation available :

  • Processor - Leica ASP300

  • Inclusion control unit - Sakura TissueTek TEC 5

  • 2 Microtomes - Reichert-Jung manuali

  • Automatic colorator - Leica ST5020

  • Cryostat- Leica CM1900

  • Microscope - Leica Orthoplan

  • Microscope - Leica Aristoplan

  • Immunofluorescence microscope - Leica Dialux

  • Educational microscope with 5 heads - Leica

  • Microscope - Nikon Eclipse E600

  • Educational microscope with 5 heads - Olympus BX53

Principal Investigator

Collaborators:

Dott.ssa Carlotta Baraldi Medical Specialist Manager in Dermatology and Venereology

Davide Domenicali  Laboratory technician - Master in Coordination of Health Professions

Silvia Pesci  Laboratory technician

Cristina Forghieri  Laboratory technician

Active collaborations with:
 SSD Bioingegneria Industriale, directed by Prof. Emanuela Marcelli, on the study “ Advantages of manual and automatic computer-aided diagnosis of melanocytic lesions”; Non-coding RNA and cancer biomarkers Laboratory, directed by Prof. Manuela Ferracin: “The role of microRNA in melanocytic lesions”

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