General Information
The Yale Program of Head and Neck Pathology, directed by Diane
Kowalski, M.D., specializes in all neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of
the head and neck region. Biopsies as well as complete resections from
the larynx, nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, oral cavity, salivary gland,
thyroid, and neck are examined with special emphasis on correlation
with therapy and the use of predictive markers. Centered at Yale-New
Haven Hospital, the service offers state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities,
including molecular diagnostics, cytopathology, immunocytochemistry,
electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and cytogenetics.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Statewide and national consultation service
•
Extensive collaborative research activity with the sections of head
and neck surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology
•
Weekly interdisciplinary head and neck tumor board
•
On-site head and neck FNA diagnosis by cytopathologists
•
Microarray technology
Areas of Expertise
• Pathology of the larynx and hypopharynx
•
Molecular biology of the head and neck
•
Thyroid disease: extensive expertise in the diagnosis and management
of patients with thyroid abnormalities
•
Soft tissue and bone lesions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which molecular techniques can be applied to tumors of the head and
neck region, and does the surgical pathologist play a role in this?
Surgical pathologists need to be aware of special procedures that
ensure proper tissue preparation and storage for molecular analysis.
Molecular
techniques that can be applied to solid tumors of the head and neck
include cytogenetics, PCR, FISH, and microarray analysis.
Why do patients with primary head and neck tumors often develop a
second metachronous or synchronous tumor?
The subsequent tumors are thought to be due to ”field cancerization.” This
suggests that a single migrating transformed cell gives rise to a clonal
population of cells that are not yet fully transformed, but with time,
will arise as new preinvasive or invasive lesions.
People
Diane
Kowalski, M.D., Director, is Assistant Professor of
Pathology and Attending Pathologist, YNHH. She is Director of the
Fine Needle
Aspiration Clinic
at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Her clinical interests include cytopathology
and head and neck pathology.
José
Costa, M.D., is Professor and Co-Vice Chair of Pathology,
Director of Anatomic Pathology, Deputy Director of the Yale Comprehensive
Cancer Center, Director of Yale Critical Technologies in Molecular Medicine,
and Attending Pathologist, YNHH; Clinical interests: oncologic pathology
and molecular diagnostics.
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