ABPath Cytopathology case studies
ABPath Cytopathology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABPath Cytopathology subspecialty examination is a one-day, computer-based certifying exam offered by the American Board of Pathology for pathologists who have completed cytopathology fellowship training and wish to demonstrate subspecialty competence. It combines Written/Practical sections with Virtual Microscopy sections; there are no glass slides. The ABPath Cytopathology case studies are 5 cases and about 1,869 words.
1ASC-US in a 29-Year-Old with Discordant Cotest and Prior Abnormality
A 29-year-old woman has a liquid-based Pap result of ASC-US. Her concurrent HPV genotyping is positive for HPV-16.
443 words, about 2 min2Indeterminate Biliary Stricture: Biliary Brushing with Atypical Cells
A 67-year-old man with a 2.5-cm hilar stricture and painless jaundice undergoes ERCP with biliary brushing. The cytology shows cohesive clusters of ductal cells with mild nuclear enlargement, slight loss of polarity, and a clean background.
376 words, about 2 min3Fine Needle Aspiration of a Neck Mass: Lymphoid-Rich Smear with a Diagnostic Dilemma
A 58-year-old woman presents with a 3-cm left level II neck mass, slowly enlarging over 6 months, with no fever or weight loss. Ultrasound shows a solid, hypoechoic mass with internal vascularity.
340 words, about 2 min4Laboratory Staffing and Turnaround Under a New High-Volume HPV Primary Screening Contract
A hospital cytology laboratory with 8 cytotechnologists and 3 cytopathologists has signed a contract to provide HPV primary screening for a regional screening program, increasing annual Pap volume from 60,000 to 95,000 tests. The laboratory currently uses liquid-based cytology with a 5-year lookback for prior results and a 10% random rescreen of negative cases.
392 words, about 2 min5Unsatisfactory Pap in a Postmenopausal Woman with Bleeding
A 63-year-old postmenopausal woman with a 3-month history of postcoital spotting has a Pap test reported as unsatisfactory for evaluation because of obscuring blood and inflammation; no endocervical or transformation-zone component is seen. She has no prior abnormal Pap and no history of HPV testing.
318 words, about 2 min