Learning objectives
Dublin Descriptors
D1 KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student should:
a) know and elaborate clinical information, to formulate a differential diagnosis of tumours;
b) based on diagnostic imaging, clinical and histopathology results, to prepare a therapeutic plan and a prognosis for the main canine and feline tumours;
c) to gain the notions useful to comprehend the cell and tissues modifications, based on morphology, genetics, molecular biology;
d) to know the macroscopic and microscopic pathological features for a differential diagnosis of domestic animal tumours;
e) to know the application of cytological/histological and biotechnological techniques for the study of cellular and tissular pathological changes for making a diagnosis of animal tumours and how to send the surgical samples to the histopathology lab;
f) to correctly interpret a cyto- and histopathology report.
D2 APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student should have acquired autonomy in:
a) the capacity to correlate gross pathology and related histopathological features to spontaneous neoplastic diseases of domestic animals;
b) choosing the diagnostic and therapeutic workflow for each clinical case.
D3 MAKING JUDGEMENTS
The student, at the end of the educational program, will be able to:
a) autonomously describe and interpret the gross and histologic lesions occurring in an organ, an apparatus or a system affected by neoplastic pathology;
b) autonomously correlate the , the clinical signs, and the diagnostic results to the macroscopic lesions observed;
c) formulate a prognostic scoring related to the specific pathology observed.
D4 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The student, at the end of the educational program, will be able to:
a) clearly expose, orally or in writing, with synthetic and exhaustive approach, using appropriate technical terminology, the clinical and oathological aspects of the disease;
b) demonstrate the ability to explain, to a composite audience (collegues and clients), what has been diagnosed on each patient;
c) prepare, with appropriate terminology, a clinical report.
D5 LIFELONG LEARNING
The student, at the end of the educational program, will be able to:
a) consult and understand, indipendently, scientific papers other than textbooks;
b) independently perform a bibliographic consultation on specific pathologic topics;
c) to have a good familiarity with veterinary pathological anatomy to allow her/him to study and understand the clinical and non-clinical subjects that characterize the veterinary practice.
Prerequisites
none
Course unit content
Tumor biology; clinical, surgical and histopathological aspects of the more common veterinary tumours (e.g. frequency, breed predisposition); histological grading systems, pathological features (cytology histopathology), clinical signs, diagnostic techniques (1st and 2nd level diagnostic imaging, biopsy techniques), and therapeutic approaches (mono – mulltimodal) to the more common veterinary tumours (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherpy).
How to send the surgical sample to the histopathology lab; macroscopic description (size, cutting features), macroscopic surgical margins signalment; lymphnodes involved (number, site); sample fixation and processing, staining, pros and cons of cytology compared to histology; how to write and interpret a histopathology report according to ECVP guidelines (main standpoints, how to interpret them); ancillary histopathology techniques, when and how to look for them (IHC, special stains, PARR, flow cytometry).
Full programme
- - -
Bibliography
- TEXTBOOKS:(Copies of the textbooks are available to the student at the Central Library "Gianelli" of the Department of Veterinary Science)
- McGavin, Zachary Patologia veterinaria sistematica, Editore: Elsevier - Masson Edizione: IV 2010
- Marconato L, Martano M., Stefanello D., Cancro - 3 ed. Poletto. 2023 (available for consultation from prof. Martano)
- CONSULTATIVE TEXTBOOK (A copy of the textbook is available at the library of the Pathology Unit of the Department of Veterinary Science)
- Jubb K.V.F, Kennedy P.C., Palmer N.: Pathology of Domestic Animals. Academic Press (last edition).
-Guarda F., Mandelli G., Trattato di Anatomia patologica veterinaria, IV Ed. UTET, Torino, 2013;
- Marcato P.S., Patologia Sistematica Veterinaria, Il sole 24ore-Edagricole, Bologna, 2015
- - Withrow and MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology, 6th Edition, 2019
Lectures are uploaded to the Elly platform.
Teaching methods
The course is based on theoretical and practical sessions, the latter to be held in the microscopic patology lab, and during joint sessions with all the teachers, during which clinical cases on the most common small animal tumours will be presented and discussed (mast cell tumours, mammary tumours, soft tissue sarcomas).
The teachers are available by appointment for any doubt or question about the program and the textbooks.
Assessment methods and criteria
At the end of the year the student should present (by Powerpoint) a clinical case to the teachers which will discuss it with the candidate.
Other information
Thirteen examination appeals are assured for each academic year. The schedule of the exams is on-line on the web site (ESSE3). Nine examination appeals are for the regular students, while for so called “fuori corso” students further 4 examination appeals are foreseen. Two subsequent examination appeals are separated, one from the other, for a minimum of 14 days. The examination committee consists of at least 2 teachers.
