Macro digital imaging for advanced perinatal post-mortem investigations

Birmingham Women’s Hospital is a centre of excellence, providing a range of specialist healthcare services to over 50,000 women and their families every year from Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK. The Department of Histopathology provides perinatal pathology and placental pathology services to Birmingham Women’s Hospital; it receives funding from the Regional Specialist Commissioning Team to provide perinatal pathology (autopsy) services to all trusts with obstetric/neonatal units in the former West Midlands Region. The Department of Histopathology performs approximately 750 post-mortems including coronial and forensic cases and reports approximately 12,000 surgical specimens (including approximately 3600 placentas) every year.

The Perinatal Pathology Department is a recognised Regional Perinatal Pathology Centre providing a fetal and perinatal autopsy service to the whole of the West Midlands Region. Fetuses, including babies with congenital anomalies, stillborn babies and infants, are referred to the department for post-mortem examination. The department also offers limited post-mortems, including external examination with X-ray and photographic documentation of salient features. Placental histopathology is also undertaken following various pregnancy complications and also after pregnancy loss, if post-mortem is declined. In addition, post-mortems are undertaken for HM Coroners around the West Midlands and further afield.

The service is provided by four perinatal pathologists and five anatomical pathology technicians (APT). The personnel are fully qualified, specialised and experienced, providing a quality service. The service adheres to guidelines recommended by relevant professional bodies, such as The Royal College of Pathologists. The department also holds a full licence from the Human Tissue Authority.