Information on different departments at SNU VMTH and introduction for the medical staff will be provided here.

Clinical Pathology
The clinical pathology department at SNU VMTH is able to provide quick and accurate examination of the body fluids and cell specimens collected from patients in order to conduct clinical and pathological diagnosis on the patients’ conditions. We also contribute to the decision-making regarding future direction of the patient’s treatment by providing the information necessary for assessing the treatment and progress to the clinician.
Tasks of the
clinical pathology
department
The Department of Clinical Pathology at SNU VMTH operates diagnostic and examination equipments of the highest quality, and conducts tests for the diagnosis and treatment of disease with the specimen collected from the visiting animal.
Various state-of-the-art diagnostic and examination equipments are used to conduct complete blood count (CBC). The type and differential counts of leukocytes, the morphology of erythrocytes, the morphology and number of platelets, and the number of reticulocytes are assessed through microscopic examination.
Chemical examinations on the collected serum are conducted to evaluate the progressive status of the disease. Examined elements include serum protein, glucose, cholesterol, urea nitrogen, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, potassium, bicarbonate, bilirubin, iron concentration, etc. We also evaluate the enzyme activity levels derived from organs such as liver, muscles or pancreas.
Also, specialized kits such as CRP and SAA are used to analyze the biomarkers of inflammation and tissue damage, while keeping track of the long-term blood glucose levels in diabetic patients through HbA1c measurement.
For patients with suspected endocrine disorders, hormone levels such as cortisol, fT4, tT4, and TSH in the collected blood serum are assessed, and diagnostic tests such as ACTH stimulation test and HDDST/LDDST tests are also performed.
As for assessment of the coagulation system, we normally test for platelet count, PT / APTT level, and D-dimer concentration, and analysis on the entire process of blood coagulation through thromboelastography is also available.
For patients requiring blood transfusion, we assess whether transfusion is possible by testing cross-matching between the donor and the recipient, minimizing potential side effects that may arise during transfusion.
Urine tests may provide helpful information on abnormalities in the urinary system and/or systemic endocrine or metabolic disorders. Basic urine tests include measuring the urine specific gravity of urine, urine dipstick tests, and microscopic observations. Additionally, we also carry out assessment for urinary system damages by measuring the urine protein creatinine ratio (UPC).
As for cytology tests, highly trained clinical pathologists collect cells from the patient‘s pleural fluid, ascites, joint fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, sputum body fluids and lumps, and examines them under using microscopes to provide the diagnosis.
In the tissue laboratory of the clinical pathology department, tests are conducted for lymph nodes, mammary gland masses, lumps in the thyroid gland, and lumps in soft tissues in the skin.
Additionally, through the collaboration with department of internal medicine and the department of radiology at SNU VMTH, we also perform aspiration of thoracic or abdominal masses by using interventional procedures.
Our clinical pathology veterinarians will promptly confirm the existence of unexpected lesions during surgery, or identify lymph node metastasis during cancer surgeries, or determine the presence of cancer cells at the surgically removed area, aiding with the direction of the surgery.
We also conduct a variety of special staining tests including Toluidine blue, Oil Red O, PAS, acid-fast, Gram, and reticulocyte staining, in order to provide more accurate diagnosis.
With the latest flow cytometry techniques, we are conducting immunophenotyping e diagnosis of canine tumor cells for more accurate diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of tumors.
As for molecular biological testing, we are carrying out tests such as PARR analysis and gene mutation tests through extraction of nucleic acid present in body fluids or cells.
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