Spring is here with fresh updates
Digital slides, veterinary AI, and a touch of art!
ART AND SCIENCE
A new collaboration
DIGITAL CYTOLOGY
Explore it
AI for veterinary
Try it
Upcoming courses
New opportunities
ART AND SCIENCE
You probably know I love mixing art and science, and I am sure many of you feel the same way. Art can elevate science, making it memorable and easier to understand and remember. I am excited to announce another collaboration with Leonie Schön, the artist behind Lamellipodium, with whom I had the pleasure of working in the past in two occasions.
The title of the new series is still TOP SECRET but you may have an idea by looking at this preliminary painting that Leonie realized. If you follow us on Instagram and Facebook, you will be able to see them as soon as they are ready. Lamellipodium has also a beautiful website and shop where you can still find material from our previous collaborations and soon you will be able to find the new one as well.
DIGITAL CYTOLOGY CORNER
To keep up with times, we have decided to revamp the digital cytology corner section and give you the opportunity to navigate through the digital slides by yourself.
The first case I want to present is a prescapular lymph node from an adult dog with a cutaneous mast cell tumour on the dorsal part of the neck that underwent clinical staging. Take a look at the slide and try to make your own interpretation before reading the solution—hands-on experience is always the best way to learn!
Have you looked at the slide? What are your thoughts? Below, I’ve taken a screenshot from the digital slide to highlight the main cell types.
As you can see, there is a mixed population of lymphoid cells, both small and large, with an increased number of mature plasma cells, overall supporting a diagnosis of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. Interestingly, there is also a subjective increase in granulated mast cells. Their morphology is unremarkable and indistinguishable from mast cells typically observed in reactive or inflammatory processes. However, based on a publication by Krick et al. (2009), metastatic disease should be considered highly probable here due to the subjective increase in mast cells throughout the smears and the presence of aggregates of more than three mast cells, as indicated in the circle.
The article can be accessed here (LINK), but unfortunately, it is not available for free. Below, I have included a table from the publication summarizing the criteria used.
Although not very recent, this article remains the only reference available for the cytological determination of lymph node metastases from mast cell tumors in dogs. While not correlated with histopathology, these cytological findings have been associated with survival and the tumour grade of the primary masses.
AI TOOLS FOR YOUR DAILY CYTOLOGY WORK
Artificial intelligence is shaping our lives, and the veterinary field is no exception! That’s why I’ve decided to start this new section, where I’ll share practical tips on how AI can help with your daily cytology work.
Let’s kick things off with ChatGPT. I’m sure most of you have heard of it—and maybe even use it regularly. But did you know there’s a special ChatGPT designed just for Veterinary Clinical Pathology?
It was created by Dr. Candice P. Chu from Texas A&M University to help with all clin path things!
What makes it different from the regular ChatGPT? That’s what the system said:
UPCOMING COURSES
In the coming months, there will be lots of opportunities to meet each other both virtually and in person. I list below a few of the events, and I am very much looking forward to seeing you there.
Onco-pathology congress by Zoetis
Dubai, 15-16 May 2025
Details to follow
As always, don’t forget that all our VETCPD online courses are available in the on-demand format and can be taken at any time. There are lots of options if you approach for the first time microscopy or if you want to know more about specific subjects, such as haematology, skin cytology, lymphoid system cytology, fluids and internal organs cytology.
