ABPath Neuropathology case studies
ABPath Neuropathology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Neuropathology subspecialty examination is offered by the American Board of Pathology as a one-day, computer-based assessment for physicians who have completed neuropathology subspecialty training and wish to demonstrate specialty-level competence. It combines Written/Practical sections with Virtual Microscopy sections; there are no glass slides, only virtual microscopy. All items are multiple-choice in the one-best-answer format and are designed to measure both a candidate's body of knowledge and problem-solving ability. Content spans normal neuroanatomy; diagnostic neuropathology and patient care consultation; theoretical, investigative, and administrative aspects of neuropathology; specimens from the central and peripheral nervous systems, skeletal muscle, and ophthalmic structures; and relevant areas of general pathology. The ABPath Neuropathology case studies are 5 cases and about 1,471 words.
1Sudden Death in a Young Athlete with a Normal Brain
A 19-year-old male college basketball player collapses during practice and dies despite resuscitation. He had no prior medical history, and a pre-participation screening ECG was normal.
349 words, about 2 min2Intraoperative Consultation for a Spinal Cord Mass
A 45-year-old woman undergoes laminectomy for a 2.5 cm intramedullary mass at T8. The surgeon requests frozen section to guide the extent of resection.
299 words, about 1 min3Medicolegal Consultation: Birth Injury and Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
A 3-year-old child with cerebral palsy dies of pneumonia. The family sues the obstetrician for birth asphyxia.
294 words, about 1 min4Peripheral Nerve Biopsy in a Patient with Mononeuritis Multiplex
A 60-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and a 6-month history of painful asymmetric foot drop and sensory loss undergoes sural nerve biopsy. The biopsy shows asymmetric loss of myelinated fibers, axonal degeneration, and a few epineurial perivascular inflammatory infiltrates without necrosis.
260 words, about 1 min5Ophthalmic Pathology: Enucleation for a Pigmented Iris Lesion
A 55-year-old woman undergoes enucleation for a large pigmented iris lesion with extrascleral extension. The eye shows a heavily pigmented mass arising from the ciliary body and iris, with epithelioid cells, prominent nucleoli, and mitotic figures (5 per 10 high-power fields).
269 words, about 1 min