Anatomical pathologists are medical specialists with more than 10 years of training who provide definitive information on diagnosis, disease progression and prognosis.

They provide the diagnosis that allows doctors to decide the appropriate care and treatment of patients.

They can also help identify the cause and contributing factors of death in deceased patients.

Service overview

Anatomical pathologists diagnose disease using their extensive knowledge and experience and by examining specimens macroscopically and microscopically.

Their expertise extends across all body systems such as the:

• brain
• skin
• gastrointestinal tract
• respiratory system
• kidneys
• urinary tract.

They report on:

• biopsies and resections taken by surgeons during operations
• biopsies taken under imaging-guidance or during endoscopic procedures
• small biopsies or specimens collected from inpatients, outpatient clinics and GP practices.

Anatomical pathologists attend multidisciplinary team meetings to help treating doctors determine the best care for patients.

In some instances, they perform non-coronial postmortems, but most work with living patients.