Services

Consultations

The Gynecologic pathology Consultation Service is mainly staffed by three faculty pathologists with extensive experience in gynecologic pathology: Wenxin Zheng, M.D. (Director), Katja Gwin, M.D., and Kelley Carrick, M.D. We offer consultative diagnostic interpretation of pathologic material concerning all diseases of the female genital tract. This service is offered for practicing pathologists desiring assistance with difficult cases, as well as for gynecologists and patients wanting a second opinion.

Why have a pathology second opinion?

Numerous publications show the clinical and economic benefits of obtaining a second opinion for pathology specimens. Obtaining a second opinion in pathology can in a small percent of cases lead to a complete change in diagnosis in a wide range of conditions including non-cancerous growths, inflammatory disorders, infections, and cancer. In terms of cancer, changes can be from cancer to benign (or vice versa) or from one type of cancer to another, which could have a significant impact on treatment and prognosis. A second review of pathology more frequently also brings changes to the cancer grade or stage, which can affect prognosis as well as therapy.

The features of our consultation service:

• Broad expertise in all entities of gynecologic pathology
• Direct line to responsive central receptionist to handle inquiries
• Prompt response
  • Automatic faxed notification that cases have been received
  • Two- to three-day turnaround on cases not requiring additional studies
  • Reports automatically faxed and hard copies sent when case is signed out
• Automatic return of all slides and paraffin blocks, by Federal Express, unless permission granted by consulting physician
• Personal telephone or email communications with the consulting physicians

To send consult cases

Please complete the Consultation Request Form. 

All materials should be sent to:

Wenxin Zheng, M.D.
Chief, Gynecologic pathology
Department of Pathology
c/o Dolores Gates
UTSW Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Blvd, CS3.602
Dallas, TX 75390-9073
USA
Phone: 214-648-2803

The following materials and information are required for interpretation and processing of all consultations:

1. Histologic section (glass slides, either original or recut sections)
2. Copy of original pathology report(s) and any consultation reports
3. Pertinent clinical history (provided in accompanying documents such as the pathology report, clinic notes, operative reports, or a letter)
4. Pathologic and/or clinical questions to be addressed in the consultation (if more than the routine diagnosis is desired)
5. Billing information (either referring institution or patient's insurance information)
6. Representative paraffin block(s) or unstained slides (on charged slides) for tumors and other lesions likely requiring ancillary studies (e.g. immunohistochemical analysis) for diagnosis.

For inquiries regarding the status of cases currently being evaluated, please contact the gynecologic pathology service assistant at 214-648-2803.

Consultation material retention policy

All original slides from tissue specimens and cytologic specimens, original histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, and paraffin blocks will be returned upon completion of the consultation. Recut sections, rather than original slides, should be submitted whenever possible (for those cases for which diagnostic findings are not altered by this process) so that the contributing laboratory can retain original slides and our laboratory can retain representative slides for our files (for consultation documentation as well as academic and teaching purposes).