TY - JOUR
T1 - Current Utilization of Electron Microscopy in the Pediatric Pathology Setting
T2 - A Survey by the SPP Practice Committee
AU - Warren, Mikako
AU - Reed, Robyn C.
AU - Prasad, Vinay
AU - Rajaram, Veena
AU - Roberts, Drucilla
AU - Kreiger, Portia A.
AU - Darrisaw, Lora
AU - Besmer, Sherri
AU - Church, Alanna J.
AU - Keisling, Matthew
AU - Craver, Randall D.
AU - Cole, Bonnie L.
AU - Robers, James
AU - Lopez-Terrada, Dolores
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Society for Pediatric Pathology All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/7/1
Y1 - 2023/7/1
N2 - Background: Electron microscopy (EM), once an important component in diagnosing pediatric diseases, has experienced a decline in its use. To assess the impact of this, pediatric pathology practices were surveyed regarding EM services. Methods: The Society of Pediatric Pathology Practice Committee surveyed 113 society members from 74 hospitals. Settings included 36 academic tertiary, 32 free-standing children’s, and 6 community hospitals. Results: Over 60% maintained in-house EM services and had more than 2 pathologists interpreting EM while reporting a shortage of EM technologists. Freestanding children’s hospitals had the most specimens (100-200 per year) and more diverse specimen types. Hospitals with fewer than 50 yearly specimens often used reference laboratories. Seventeen had terminated all in-house EM services. Challenges included decreasing caseloads due to alternative diagnostic methods, high operating costs, and shortages of EM technologists and EM-proficient pathologists. Kidney, liver, cilia, heart, and muscle biopsies most often required EM. Lung/bronchoalveolar lavage, tumor, skin, gastrointestinal, nerve, platelet, and autopsy samples less commonly needed EM. Conclusions: The survey revealed challenges in maintaining EM services but demonstrated its sustained value in pediatric pathology. Pediatric pathologists may need to address the centralization of services and training to preserve EM diagnostic proficiency among pathologists who perform ultrastructural interpretations.
AB - Background: Electron microscopy (EM), once an important component in diagnosing pediatric diseases, has experienced a decline in its use. To assess the impact of this, pediatric pathology practices were surveyed regarding EM services. Methods: The Society of Pediatric Pathology Practice Committee surveyed 113 society members from 74 hospitals. Settings included 36 academic tertiary, 32 free-standing children’s, and 6 community hospitals. Results: Over 60% maintained in-house EM services and had more than 2 pathologists interpreting EM while reporting a shortage of EM technologists. Freestanding children’s hospitals had the most specimens (100-200 per year) and more diverse specimen types. Hospitals with fewer than 50 yearly specimens often used reference laboratories. Seventeen had terminated all in-house EM services. Challenges included decreasing caseloads due to alternative diagnostic methods, high operating costs, and shortages of EM technologists and EM-proficient pathologists. Kidney, liver, cilia, heart, and muscle biopsies most often required EM. Lung/bronchoalveolar lavage, tumor, skin, gastrointestinal, nerve, platelet, and autopsy samples less commonly needed EM. Conclusions: The survey revealed challenges in maintaining EM services but demonstrated its sustained value in pediatric pathology. Pediatric pathologists may need to address the centralization of services and training to preserve EM diagnostic proficiency among pathologists who perform ultrastructural interpretations.
KW - electron microscopy
KW - history
KW - lab medicine
KW - pediatric pathology
KW - surgical pathology
KW - survey
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U2 - 10.1177/10935266231170102
DO - 10.1177/10935266231170102
M3 - Article
C2 - 37165545
AN - SCOPUS:85159041106
SN - 1093-5266
VL - 26
SP - 411
EP - 422
JO - Pediatric and Developmental Pathology
JF - Pediatric and Developmental Pathology
IS - 4
ER -