Ancillary Testing
Diagnostic Modalities Supporting Anatomic Pathology
Stanford Pathology relies on a suite of ancillary testing offerings to support our expert diagnosis. Many cases are challenging to diagnose through gross examination and microscopy alone, and additional tools such as immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and molecular pathology are sometimes employed to obtain a definitive diagnosis. We practice judicious use of ancillary testing on a case-by-case basis and will only recommend the testing necessary to adequately assess the case. Our highly specialized staff performs a wide variety of routine and esoteric testing.
Immunohistochemistry
Stanford’s Immunodiagnosis Laboratory offers an extensive list of routine and special immunohistochemical stains and in-situ hybridization staining.
Cytogenetics/FISH
Cytogenetics identifies chromosomes that are broken, rearranged or missing. This information plays a critical role in the diagnosis of many genetic diseases and cancers and can help physicians identify the best treatment strategies for their patients.
Electron Microscopy
Electron microscopy (EM) is a technique for obtaining extremely high resolution images of specimens to support the diagnosis of medical kidney disease, muscle disorders, neurological disorders, and ciliary dysfunction.
Flow Cytometry
Flow Cytometry is a technique used to detect and measure physical and chemical characteristics of a population of cells or particles. It is primarily used to support diagnosis of blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphomas.
Immunofluorescence
Immunofluorescence staining is a technique used in the laboratory to diagnose diseases of the skin, kidney, and other organ systems.
Clinical Genomics
The Clinical Genomics Program at Stanford Medicine performs whole exome sequencing and other genomic testing services for patients with undiagnosed, genetic conditions.
Molecular Pathology
Stanford’s Molecular Pathology Service provides information about the fundamental genetic abnormalities of tumors to provide a specific diagnosis and individualized treatment to the patient.