Neuropathology Services

The department of Neuropathology PathWest is a Statewide service and provides a comprehensive neuropathology service to all WA teaching hospitals (Royal Perth Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner, Perth Children’s (paediatric), and Fiona Stanley Hospitals and for the private sector. The laboratory is based at Royal Perth Hospital and is a referral centre for wide range of adult, paediatric and foetal specimens (coronial and non-coronial), neuromuscular, neuro-oncology, neurodegenerative and miscellaneous specimens related to the central and peripheral nervous system.  A range of biopsies specimens including intracranial and intraspinal biopsies, temporal lobectomies, sural nerve and muscle biopsies, as well as coronial specimens such as brains, vertebral columns with spinal cord in-situ and eyes are examined and reported by expert neuropathologists.

Expert neuropathologists and surgical pathologists provide a year-round 24-hour intra-operative neuro-oncology frozen section service at the QEII Medical Centre.  Off-site frozen section service is offered to RPH, Fiona Stanley Hospital, SJOG Hospital Subiaco, SJOG Hospital Murdoch, Hollywood Private Hospital, The Mount Hospital, and PCH involving neuropathologists travelling to the various sites to provide frozen section service to all WA patients. Consultant staff attend weekly Statewide Neuro-oncology Multidisciplinary Meetings at the QEII Medical Centre and also contribute to Tumour Board Meetings at Perth Children’s Hospital. Emphasis is placed on careful correlation of biopsy findings with the results of neuroimaging and other investigations, and best practice tumour diagnoses are formulated integrating extensive cutting edge molecular and cytogenetic workup.

Brain Banking

Neuropathology at Royal Perth Hospital is the centre for brain tissue donated for research in Western Australia. Currently there are approximately 300 donated brains, which are part of the national database.  Dr Vicki Fabian is the Chief Investigator.