Gastrointestinal Pathology

Our subspecialty oversees the diagnostic evaluation of all tissues involved by neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the GI luminal tract, appendix, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas in adult patients. Our faculty evaluate and render diagnoses in approximately 20,000 surgical pathology cases per year, including in-house biopsies, in-house resection and consults, and direct our ACGME certified fellowship training program. In addition, we provide diagnostic Gastrointestinal 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 areas of gastrointestinal cancer, mesenchymal lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatic neoplasms, appendiceal neoplasms, and pancreatic carcinoma.

The service is directed by Dr. Monica Garcia-Buitrago. Dr. Garcia-Buitrago is a board-certified academic anatomic and clinical pathologist and cytopathologist. Her clinical activities are focused on gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pancreatobiliary pathology, as well ascytopathology at the UM/JHS clinical complex and academically-oriented medical facilities. Her research is focused primarily on the identification of molecular genetic mechanisms and the discovery of immunohistochemical biomarkers useful for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of behavior of gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and hepatobiliary neoplasms as well as on the identification of new immunomarkers that can be used in surgical pathology and cytopathology specimens.

The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine offers a Fellowship in Gastrointestinal/Hepatic Pathology.