Digital imaging in pathology

Abstract

Advances in computing speed and power have made a pure digital work flow for pathology. New technologies such as whole slide imaging (WSI), multispectral image analysis, and algorithmic image searching seem poised to fundamentally change the way in which pathology is practiced. This article provides the practicing pathologist with a primer on digital imaging. Building on this primer, the current state of the art concerning digital imaging in pathology is described. Emphasis is placed on WSI and its ramifications, showing how it is useful in both anatomic (histology, cytopathology) and clinical (hematopathology) pathology. Future trends are also extrapolated.