Cytopathology

The Cytopathology service is currently led by Dr. Merce Jorda. Dr. Jorda is an academic pathologist, board-certified in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology, and Cytopathology. Her clinical focus is on genitourinary pathology, breast pathology, and cytopathology, within a clinically complex and academically oriented cancer center. Dr. Jorda’s research efforts are largely clinical and translational in nature, mainly focused on cytopathology and genitourinary pathology, especially urinary bladder, and kidney tumors. She has been the co-investigator in multiple awarded grants, she is a member of several major editorial boards and cancer journals, and she is the author and co-author of over 160 articles and book chapters.

The service provides diagnostic services for all types of cytology specimens, including non-gynecological exfoliative or fine-needle aspiration samples from all organs, such as thyroid, lung, pancreas, GI tract, pleura/peritoneal cavity fluids, CSF, urine, among others, as well as gynecological and anal samples. We also provide immediate assessment of FAN material obtained at the subspecialty clinics and radiology units. Our ABP Cytopathology board-certified faculty evaluate and render diagnoses in approximately 20,000 cytopathology cases per year, including in-house samples and consults, and direct our ACGME certified fellowship training program. Additionally, we provide diagnostic Cytopathology consultation services for a variety of outside clients, medical centers, and regional hospitals. Our faculty are academically productive, with our research efforts primarily focused on the ancillary techniques to assess diagnostic and prognostic markers in Cytology samples from patients with cancer, when the routine tissue sampling may not be adequate.

The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine offers a Fellowship in Cytopathology.