What is Diagnostic Pathology?
The cause of disease is determined by morphologic and/or clinical pathology findings, as well as history, clinical signs, and ancillary test results. It is essential in all areas of pathology, both naturally occurring and experimentally induced disease. It is critical in experimental studies to distinguish between the effects of spontaneous disease and those caused by the experimental agent/test article. Diagnostic pathology is required to investigate unexpected disease or death in laboratory animal colonies or before the study is terminated. Pathology will remain important in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory for the diagnosis and prevention of spontaneous, chemically-induced disease. The value of naturally occurring chemically-induced diseases as models should not be underestimated, as these cases frequently add critical information to our understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity of these and similar chemical groups. Introduction Historically, the histologic appe...