Quelle place et quel avenir pour l’anatomo-cyto-pathologie des maladies infectieuses et tropicales en France ?

Abstract

The management of tissues and cellular samples by the pathologists in the infectious and tropical diseases pathology field in 2014 needs a strong knowledge of both morphological and molecular domains which includes the good control: (i) of the taxonomy of infectious and tropical diseases pathology leading to the pathogens identification and (ii) of the ancillary methods which can be used in fixed samples in order to detect or better identify these pathogens. There is a recent paradox in France concerning the frequency of infectious diseases to be diagnosed in pathology laboratories and the progressive loss of pathologist's expertise in this domain. Different reasons could explain this statement including the omnipresence of the tumour lesions to be managed in a pathology laboratory as well as the recent constraints associated with the different biomarkers that are mandatory to be detected by immunohistochemistry and/or by molecular biology. Even if the microbiologists play a pivotal role for identifying the different pathogens as well as for the assessment of their sensitivity to the anti-microbial drugs, a large number of infectious diseases can be diagnosed only on fixed tissue and/or cells by the pathologists. The purpose of this review is to describe the current and future issues of infectious and tropical diseases diagnoses in pathology laboratories, in particular in France.