Telepathology in fetal pathology

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Wehrstedt, Kathrin | Tennstedt, Corina | Hufnagl, Peter

Affiliations: Department of Pathology (Rudolf-Virchow-Haus), Charité, Medical Faculty of the Humboldt University, Berlin

Note: [] Kathrin Wehrstadt Institute of Pathology "Rudolph-Virchow-Haus" University Hospital Charité Medical Faculty of the Humboldt University Berlin Schumannstraße 20/21 10098 Berlin Germany Tel: 030 - 280 23871 FAX: 030 - 280 25688 e-Mail: kathrin.wehrstedt@charite.de

Abstract: In recent years the number of described malformations and syndromes has increased rapidly. The diagnosis of fetal malformations requires extensive experience. Since important questions often arise during the autopsy, requiring a second opinion or additional input without interruption of the autopsy, telepathology offers one means of solving this problem. The system employed was TPS Version 1.5, which was developed in a cooperative effort by the Charité and Leica Microsystems. If there is no pathologist available for a second opinion during the autopsy TPS enables the investigator to save pictures taken during the autopsy so that they can be sent at a later point in time to an expert for a second opinion. In a study comprising 10 cases the image quality and the communication possibilities of TPS were evaluated, with the online communication being compared with respect to suitability, time required and quality. Telepathology can be used in fetal diagnostics. It allows a second opinion to be obtained either during or after the autopsy, under routine conditions where a call for a second opinion is normally not possible. This improves the quality of diagnoses.

Keywords: telepathology, fetal diagnosis, perinatal center, fetal autopsy

Journal: Electronic Journal of Pathology and Histology, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 09-09, 2000