[PCR based diagnosis in pathology].
PCR-based diagnosis of infectious diseases has developed into an important method in surgical pathology. We summarize our experience in this area based on 3500 analyses performed during the past 5 years. The peculiarity of material from a pathological laboratory is the risk of DNA fragmentation as a consequence of tissue fixation. For this reason the assays used must be adapted to this particular situation. PCR-based diagnosis of infectious diseases, if performed according to appropriate quality standards, is a safe and effective technique with high sensitivity and specificity and results in an etiologically based diagnosis.
Schewe
C
C
Institut für Pathologie der Charité, Rudolf-Virchow-Haus, Berlin.
Rizzello
M
M
Dietel
M
M
Hauptmann
S
S
D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D010336:Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*