LAHORE: A three-day international workshop on `Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology -Diagnostic Challenges and Recent Advances` organised by the pathology department of the University of Health Sciences, concluded on Wednesday.

The workshop was facilitated by a senior consultant pathologist Dr Saba Yasir of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US, and it was attended by practicing pathologists and pathology residents.

UHS Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Junaid Sarfraz Khan was also present.

The workshop presented a practical overview of pathologists who encountered gastrointestinal and liver specimens in daily practice. Interpretation of biopsies of the upper GI tract mucosa and the liver was addressed aswell as recent advances in pancreatic and biliary pathology. Case presentations were featured to emphasize presented concepts.

Participants were given a better understanding of interpretation of mucosal biopsies, liver biopsies, pancreatic/biliary disorders, current concepts in staging, and the application of modern techniques to gastrointestinal disorders.

During the discourse, Dr Saba said although many gastrointestinal tissue biopsies and surgical specimens were accurately diagnosed without referral to a gastrointestinal pathologist, certain digestive diseases were histologically subtle or the differential diagnosis was complicated or complex.

In such cases, a close working relationship between the pathologist and gastroenterologist with correlation of clinical, endoscopic, and biopsy find-ings might be of great benefit to the patient, she underscored.

UHS pathology department`s head Prof A.H Nagi said increasing awareness of subspecialty gastrointestinal pathology services and increased patient awareness of laboratory errors, there was an increasing trend towards referral of tissue specimens to surgical pathologists with special interest in gastrointestinal pathology.

He said the application of immunochemistry and molecular pathology to conventional morphologic analysis in establishing the correct diagnosis was mandatory in all sub-specialisations of pathology.

Convener Dr Nadia Naseem said at least 75 pathologists participated in the workshop. Around 30 different cases of gastrointestinal mucosal biopsies, liver biopsies, pancreatic/biliary disorders were presented.