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Superiority of virtual microscopy versus light microscopy in transplantation pathology
Author(s) -
Ozluk Yasemin,
Blanco Paula L.,
Mengel Michael,
Solez Kim,
Halloran Philip F.,
Sis Banu
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2011.01506.x
Subject(s) - virtual microscopy , reproducibility , medicine , microscopy , transplantation , telepathology , biopsy , digital pathology , pathology , nuclear medicine , surgery , telemedicine , health care , statistics , mathematics , economics , economic growth
Ozluk Y, Blanco PL, Mengel M, Solez K, Halloran PF, Sis B. Superiority of virtual microscopy versus light microscopy in transplantation pathology.
Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011.01506.x.
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Virtual microscopy has begun to change conventional pathology practice. We tested the reliability of this new technology in transplantation pathology. We studied 40 kidney transplant biopsies for cause and compared reproducibility of Banff scores using virtual slides versus glass slides. Three glass slides per biopsy were scanned as high‐resolution digital slides using Aperio ScanScope. Three pathologists independently reviewed the biopsies: twice by glass slides and twice by virtual slides. Eleven histopathological lesions were scored and used to construct diagnosis according to Banff criteria. The intra‐observer reproducibility of Banff scores was substantially good using either virtual slides or glass slides (mean κ: 0.69 vs. 0.64, p > 0.05). The inter‐observer reproducibility of Banff scores was better in virtual slides than in glass slides (mean κ: 0.42 vs. 0.28, p < 0.001). Among the lesions, transplant glomerulopathy scoring by virtual slides showed the highest inter‐observer reproducibility, with a similar accuracy to glass slides. The agreement for acute rejection between virtual and glass slides was not different from the agreement between two readings of glass slides. Thus, virtual microscopy is a reliable and more reproducible technology and has several advantages over glass slides, e.g., accessibility via internet, no fading. We recommend virtual microscopy for transplant diagnostics, including utilization for clinical trials.