The Evolution of Anatomic Pathology

Science advances both by conceptual leaps and by improved observational and analytic tools. Mechanism and function in biological systems can best be understood in the context of the complex microenvironments in which they occur, and for this purpose morphologic analysis can be critical. Technological advances in cell and tissue imaging are currently finding application in a wide variety of basic, translational, and clinical biomedical studies. “Biophotonics in Pathology” was designed as a multi-authored work to describe the various kinds of imaging strategies that have been developed as computational power keeps increasing. Some of these overlap with radiologic techniques and others do not. The field is continuously evolving, and in this commentary I will touch on additional techniques for morphology-based interrogation of cells and tissues that have recently been described. However, it is important to note that though we are expanding our armamentarium as pathologists, our radiological colleagues have been doing this for many years. Clearly, they have embraced new imaging techniques to a greater extent than have pathologists. This commentary discusses some of the factors responsible for this, and suggests that pathology and radiology are converging towards a more holistic approach to diagnostic imaging.