Page 557 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

appendix 2

Necropsy guidelines

Samuel Sharpe

A2.1 role of anatomical pathology sensitive or specific and cannot usually dif-
and necropsy in veterinary ferentiate from true clinical infection, active
disease investigation subclinical infection or post-infectious carrier
status. Necropsy examination is required to
A diagnostic pathology service should be an put ancillary testing results into context.
integral part of any veterinary service/disease • Informs a logical direction of further testing:
investigation programme. In rural areas, where information gathered during a thorough post-
access to laboratory services is limited or in hot mortem examination will allow the refining
climates where rapid putrefaction of cadavers of initial differential diagnosis list and target-
may make samples unsuitable for ancillary test- ing or staging of often costly ancillary testing.
ing gross, post-mortem examination may be the • Sample collection for ancillary testing includ-
only method of disease investigation. Even in ing: histopathology, microbiology, toxicology
areas where lab services are more readily avail- and parasitology.
able, gross necropsy examination should form • Sample collection for tissue/sample banking:
the basis of any disease investigation. Tissues can be collected for histopathology
Thorough necropsy examination allows the and ancillary testing. In addition, formalin-
following. fixed or fresh-frozen tissue can be archived
to provide material for future retrospective
• Characterization of disease presentation: Are assessment.
the presentation and gross lesions typical for
the suspected disease process or atypical and In this way pathology acts as a bridge between
warrant further investigation? clinical practice and the diagnostic laboratory,
• Characterization of subclinical or co-morbid- providing samples and direction for ancillary
ities: The cause of morbidity and mortality testing on one hand and interpreting and contex-
is rarely simple and is often multifactorial. tualizing diagnostic testing results on the other.
Relying on targeted laboratory testing may For these reasons, it is important that veterinar-
overlook these important co-morbid fac- ians and paraprofessionals become experienced
tors necessary to understand and remedy an in necropsy technique and sample collection
animal health problem. and can recognize the gross tissue changes or
• Correlation of lesions with results of other lesions typical for disease conditions common
testing: ancillary testing is rarely totally to the area.

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