The Impact of New Technologic and Molecular Advances in the Daily Practice of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathology

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2017 Apr;141(4):517-527. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2016-0261-SA. Epub 2017 Feb 3.

Abstract

The practice of anatomic pathology, and of gastrointestinal pathology in particular, has been dramatically transformed in the past decade. In addition to the multitude of diseases, syndromes, and clinical entities encountered in daily clinical practice, the increasing integration of new technologic and molecular advances into the field of gastroenterology is occurring at a fast pace. Application of these advances has challenged pathologists to correlate newer methodologies with existing morphologic criteria, which in many instances still provide the gold standard for diagnosis. This review describes the impact of new technologic and molecular advances on the daily practice of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology. We discuss new drugs that can affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver, new endoluminal techniques, new molecular tests that are often performed reflexively, new imaging techniques for evaluating hepatocellular carcinoma, and modified approaches to the gross and histologic assessment of tissues that have been exposed to neoadjuvant therapies.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biliary Tract / diagnostic imaging
  • Biliary Tract / metabolism
  • Biliary Tract / pathology*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / therapy
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / diagnostic imaging
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / metabolism
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / methods
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy / trends
  • Pathology, Clinical / methods*
  • Pathology, Clinical / trends

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor