Pediatric Pathology
The Pediatric Pathology Service is widely recognized for its breadth of diagnostic expertise covering a wide variety of diseases involving children of all ages, fetuses and placentas. In collaboration with specialists in a number of disciplines, the service provides assistance to physicians and others seeking consults for pediatric surgical and autopsy pathology specimens, including placentas. The available experience offers valuable support in the form of second opinions and helps physicians predict patient prognosis. Additionally, specialty testing on pediatric specimens is offered for small blue cell tumors, trisomies and sex chromosomal changes, pediatric leukemias and lymphomas, and a wide range of infectious disorders.
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Experience
The Pediatric Pathology Service at Johns Hopkins was established in 1990 and has grown to include six key members, each with nationally recognized expertise. Our collaboration with intra- and extra-departmental specialists in a broad range of subjects and techniques offers the most accurate diagnosis to benefit patients and their families. Testing to confirm genetic abnormalities, which is is also available, may provide comfort to families. Additionally, we receive many consults through our affiliation with the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG), a multi-institutional, therapeutic trials organization.
Expertise
Expert Consultation
Dr. Frederic Askin, director of Surgical Pathology, is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric pulmonary disease and in pediatric neoplasms. Dr. Askin has served for many years as the Children's Cancer Group review pathologist for Ewing's sarcomas.
Dr. Grover M. Hutchins, former director of Autopsy Pathology, with a subspecialty in pediatric pathology, provides expertise in evaluating congenital anomalies, particularly congenital heart disease. His extraordinarily broad background in autopsy pathology offers physicians an internationally recognized, unparalleled resource.
Dr. Peter Burger, director of the neuropathology consult service and author of several widely consulted texts on central nervous system tumors, is a recognized expert in pediatric brain tumors. This expertise is reflected in his years of involvement as the POG's review pathologist for all brain tumors.
Dr. Michael Borowitz, director of Hematopathology, is an internationally known expert in pediatric hematologic malignancies. He is responsible for the flow cytometric testing of all pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemias registered on POG protocols.
Dr. Pedram Argani is a pediatric and adult surgical pathologist whose experience in diagnosing soft tissue and embryonal neoplasms through molecular testing provides another important resource.
Special capabilities and services
The Service offers access to a variety of specialized tests not readily available at most other medical centers. These include:- Immunohistochemistry -- used to diagnose a wide variety of tumors and infections such as parvo virus infections in placentas and fetuses and MIC2 analysis for Ewing's sarcoma, among others
- Fluorescence in-situ hybridization -- for trisomies and sex chromosomal changes (X, 13, 18 or 21), and for n-myc amplification in neuroblastomas
- Specialized molecular techniques -- analysis for translocations of many pediatric neoplasms may be performed on frozen or paraffinized tissue
Timely Results
Written reports of results for routine light microscopy and for most immunohistochemical stains are faxed to contributors within 2-3 days; faster in an emergency. For specialized molecular techniques, please call to discuss optimal tissue submission and timing of results.
Turnaround time is routinely 24-48 hours for light microscopic evaluation. Material sent for consultation will be returned to contributors within two weeks.
Faculty
Frederic B. Askin, M.D.
| Phone: | 410-550-4841 |
| E-mail: | faskin@jhmi.edu |
- Director of Surgical Pathology
- Professor of Pathology
Education and Training
- M.D., The University of Virginia
- Residency in Internal Medicine, Private Medical Service, Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Residency in Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes Hospital
Professional Interests
Surgical and autopsy pathology of neoplastic and non-neoplastic pulmonary disease in adults and children -- and clinical-pathologic-radiologic correlation.
Major Professional Leadership
- Co-author, Surgical Pathology of Non-neoplastic Lung Disease, Editions 1 and 2
- Co-editor, Pathology of Solid Tumors in Children
- Co-editor, Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology (pulmonary disease), Volume 18
- Editorial Board: The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, Modern Pathology, Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology
- Co-editor of Resident's Page for Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles
- Author of numerous book chapters
- Trustee, Pulmonary Pathology Society
Tests
To order, call Customer Service at 1-800-997-5475 between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Johns Hopkins Medical Laboratories1620 McElderry Street
Reed Hall Room 315
Baltimore, MD 21205
Phone 410-955-2405
Fax 410-614-7712
Special Ordering Instructions
Standard Specimen Processing
The laboratory provides expert evaluation of pediatric specimens and placentas using light microscopy. Special testing via electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry will be used as appropriate. Studies can be performed on frozen, fresh or fixed tissue, or on blocks or slides prepared elsewhere.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Unstained Slides Requirement
Note that all tissue (unstained slides) must be submitted on a plus charged slide. The Immunopathology Laboratory recommends a white plus charged slide that is available from Cardinal Health. The catalogue number for the white plus slide is M6159-6, however one must specify to the vendor whether to order as one gross (pack of 144 slides), one case (10 packs per case).
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