Pediatric Pathology

Unipath, one of the largest privately owned pathology groups in the Western United States, is proud to offer pediatric and perinatal pathology as one of its subspecialty areas of expertise.

Perinatal pathology is concerned with the developing embryo and fetus, and the abnormalities that lead to a less than expected outcome of pregnancy. This also includes the study of the placenta, the organ that supports the developing baby through its entire gestation. Subspecialists in perinatal pathology learn to recognize abnormalities that affect the placenta and developing baby such as infections and genetic conditions. The subspecialty physicians at UniPath examine thousands of placentas and products of conception each year to help family practitioners, nurse midwives, and obstetricians care for mothers and babies. Additionally, approximately 120 fetal autopsies are performed to help caregivers and families understand why their pregnancy did not result in a healthy baby.

Pediatric pathology is a discipline that not only covers the unborn baby and placenta, but all aspects of problems encountered in the neonatal period, childhood, and young adulthood. At UniPath, subspecialists in pediatric pathology examine all tissues obtained at the time of surgery, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, or cardiac catheterization in patients in the newborn period up to the age of 18.

Both perinatal and pediatric specimens can be evaluated in multiple ways to help primary care physicians give appropriate care to their patients. These include:

• Gross examination
• Routine light microscopy
• Immunoperoxidase studies for infectious organisms
• Immunoperoxidase studies to aid in the diagnosis of complex tumors
• Molecular and cytogenetic studies to help evaluate complex tumors
• Ultrastructural studies

The subspecialty of pediatric pathology requires the pathologist to have completed his or her four year general pathology studies and an additional two years of pediatric pathology fellowship training. Subspecialty boards in pediatric pathology are then taken in addition to general anatomic and/or clinical pathology boards.

UniPath has two pediatric subspecialty boarded physicians, Andrea Kathleen Sotelo, M.D., Sarah C. Mengshol, M.D., and R. Weslie Tyson, M.D.

How to contact UniPath

If you have any questions, or if you would like to request additional information on Pediatric Pathology, please contact your Sales Representative, or UniPath’s Client Services Department at 303-512-2250.