Pathology on Canvas

Can you believe it’s been eight years since we first asked the pathology and laboratory medicine community to contribute to our inaugural image issue? And yet, in our octennial year, we’ve never had more creative, eye-catching, and surprising submissions to sift through.

For 2023, we are proud to feature a plethora of pieces in a variety of mediums – from abstract canvases dripping with H&E splendor to hand drawn illustrations that show off the sensorial experiences of grossing.

We are always impressed by the amazing talent that resides within pathology and laboratory medicine. But know that this gallery is but only a small snapshot – a single brushstroke on the giant canvas of this community’s skill and creativity.

Credit: Alivea Smith-Andrews, Medical Laboratory Scientist, LabPLUS, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand

I made a cake depicting a B-cell's structure with organelles, antibodies, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II proteins. It shows the nucleus containing chromatin, which spirals into a DNA helix with histones and shows individual bases. Most of the decorations are made of modeling chocolate; the cell membrane is buttercream.

Credit: Andrea Shields, PGY-2, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA

I painted this picture after a cytology-GYN rotation because the squamous cells reminded me of petals.

Credit: Chitturi Ramya, Associate Professor, NRI Medical College, Chinakakani, India

Fruiting body of Aspergillus fungus identified in the maxillary sinus tissue of a post-COVID-19 patient.

Credit: Frazer Bell, Histopathology Technician, Histology Research Service/ Veterinary Diagnostics Services, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow

Mouse embryo paws stained with H&E and Alcian blue/Masson’s trichrome.

Credit: Jaye H. Paulman, Laboratory Manager at Southview Medical Group, Birmingham, AL, USA

This image was rendered in Daz Studio software using empiric assets with a laboratory setting. A touch-up for additional lighting was performed in Adobe Photoshop.

Credit: Linlin Gao, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA

This image shows H&E staining with a group of red blood cells aggregated in the shape of a bird.

Credit: Lynn Messersmith, Pathologist, Martin Army Community Hospital, Ft. Benning, Georgia

Ductal elements create a curious fox in this section from a fibroadenoma resection. Hematoxylin & eosin at 40X magnification.

Credit: Michele Mitchell, Co-Chair of the University of Michigan Dept of Pathology Patient and Family Advisory Council

Michele Mitchell is a breast cancer survivor. Since retirement, she has devoted her time to patient advocacy. Michele takes the advocacy role seriously: “it is a great honor to educate and empower patients, move the needle on important issues, and make a real difference in healthcare policy, quality, and safety.”

Credit: Regina Zavodovskaya, Associate Veterinary Anatomic Pathologist, VDx, Davis, California, USA.

In this art piece, H&E stain colors were used as the primary theme.

Credit: Syed Salahuddin Ahmed, Senior Consultant in Pathology, Delta Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Photomicrograph of an epidermal cyst. Cyst content retracted from the wall gives the appearance of a brook.

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