Pulmonary Pathology

Procedure Description:

Pulmonary pathology includes evaluation of lung and mediastinal diseases which include congenital conditions (since birth), neoplastic (such as lung cancer), and acquired non-neoplastic (or interstitial) lung diseases.

Our pathologists recognize a variety of congenital lung conditions and correlate their findings with pediatric surgical and radiographic imaging studies, as part of the care team in Maine’s only pediatric hospital.

Neoplastic lung and mediastinal diseases are diagnosed utilizing the latest technologies available. Our staff performs rapid onsite readings of cytologic specimens for evaluation of malignancy and staging purposes. In conjunction with our colleagues in pulmonary and radiology, we diagnose tissues ranging from core biopsies to transbronchial or endobronchial biopsies to large resection specimens. Our experience is the largest in Maine and also includes eastern and southern New Hampshire. Results of prognostic markers including KRAS and EGFR are integrated with the histologic findings to provide individualized medical treatment for lung carcinoma patients. Our specialty expertise in hematopathology also allows our pathologists the experience needed to correctly diagnose mediastinal and pulmonary lymphoid processes.

Finally, the diagnosis of acquired interstitial lung diseases requires careful integration of clinical information from pulmonologists with radiographic and pathologic information. The tissue requirements for these diagnoses are occasionally met by transbronchial or endobronchial biopsies, but for many of the chronic diseases, larger wedge biopsies of lung tissue are required. In this area in particular, recognition of disease entities requires volume-related experience.

Dr. Douglas Dressel is a board-certified Cytopathologist with a subspecialty interest in pulmonary pathology, who participates in regional multidisciplinary pulmonary tumor conferences and is the director of Cytology at NorDx laboratories. He also has interest in pulmonary – renal syndromes as he has advanced training in renal pathology.