Pathology Captures
A celebration of lab-inspired art from around the globe
For our ninth annual image issue, we were once again awed by the submissions we received. Not only have we seen some beautiful histopathology slides, but also creations in mediums ranging from paintings and drawings, to cross-stitch and stained glass.
Below, you can find a plethora of these creations from The Pathologist and #pathart community that perfectly showcases the excitement, skill, and creativity that our field has to offer.
Interested in getting your #pathart creations into a future edition of The Pathologist? Share your work with us to feature as our next image of the month!
Leonie Schön
Pentachrome I (Colon).
All paintings are painted with watercolor on paper. All references are by Katelin Murphy, who can be found at @histoqueenofhearts on Instagram. My paintings are inspired by her pentachrome stains.
Pentachrome II (Cartilage).
All paintings are painted with watercolor on paper. All references are by Katelin Murphy, who can be found at @histoqueenofhearts on Instagram. My paintings are inspired by her pentachrome stains.
Pentachrome III (Skin).
All paintings are painted with watercolor on paper. All references are by Katelin Murphy, who can be found at @histoqueenofhearts on Instagram. My paintings are inspired by her pentachrome stains.
Credit: Leonie Schön, Lamellipodium Art.
Becki Hiscocks
Radiographer’s Hand in Pencil.
As a student member of the Medical Artists Association, I enjoy spending time at the Gordon Museum of Pathology and these drawings are inspired by some of the specimens on display. All artworks are on paper, the hand and syphilis skull are in pencil and the gangrenous foot is in watercolour.
Syphilis Study in Pencil.
As a student member of the Medical Artists Association, I enjoy spending time at the Gordon Museum of Pathology and these drawings are inspired by some of the specimens on display. All artworks are on paper, the hand and syphilis skull are in pencil and the gangrenous foot is in watercolour.
Gangrenous Foot.
As a student member of the Medical Artists Association, I enjoy spending time at the Gordon Museum of Pathology and these drawings are inspired by some of the specimens on display. All artworks are on paper, the hand and syphilis skull are in pencil and the gangrenous foot is in watercolour.
Credit: Becki Hiscocks, Freelance Illustrator, Medical Artists’ Education Trust, Medical Artists Association, Bristol, UK.
Ziad El-Zaatari
Amnion.
Membranes from a placenta, mostly showing the amnion layer and its lining cells (H&E stain, 100x magnification)
Corpus Moon Rising.
A corpus amylaceous resembling a full moon rising above prostate gland “hills” (H&E stain, 400x magnification)
Foamy Cells.
A sharp image of a collection of foamy histiocytes (H&E stain, 400x magnification)
Hassall’s Rose.
A Hassall’s Corpuscle in thymic tissue, resembling a rose (H&E stain, 400x magnification)
LAMN.
A low grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm, epithelium, lamina propria, and luminal mucin (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Pacinian Corpuscle.
A Pacinian corpuscle (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Respiratory Epithelium.
Respiratory Epithelial cells with cilia (H&E stain, 600x magnification)
Saponification.
Saponification fat necrosis in a case of pancreatitis (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Signet Ring Cells.
Signet ring cells in a gastric adenocarcinoma (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Malevolent Pearls.
Keratin pearls in a squamous cell carcinoma (H&E stain, 100x magnification)
Thyroid Intersection.
Three intersecting thyroid follicles from a multinodular thyroid goiter (H&E stain, 400x magnification)
Tumor in Flames.
Tumor necrosis in a treated hepatocellular carcinoma (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Woven Bone.
Regenerating (woven type) bone (H&E stain, 200x magnification)
Credit: Ziad El-Zaatari, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Texas, USA
Ahmet Erbağci
Taking Flight.
A lambda immunohistochemical stain in the shape of a bird.
Slide pictures of bone marrow H&E tissue.
Slide pictures of bone marrow H&E tissue.
Credit: Ahmet Erbağci, Resident, Department of Pathology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkey
Anna Dumitriu
Fragile Microbiome.
Materials: Wet felt, needle felt, beads, embroidery, sterilized gut bacteria from a diverse microbiome.
This hand-felted artwork is richly embroidered and beaded to represent the lining of the gut and the rich communities of bacteria that live inside us and it is also impregnated with their DNA.
Credit: Anna Dumitriu in collaboration with Dr Jane Freeman and members of the Healthcare Associated Infections Research group, including academic and clinical members of staff at the University of Leeds.
aDNA.
Animal bone, metal, IS1081 insertion element amplified from bovine tuberculosis DNA found in Iron Age remains.
This contemporary animal bone has been carved with textures that explore the processes of bioarchaeology and of infection with bovine tuberculosis – a zoonotic disease that has been transferred to humans from livestock since ancient times, often through the consumption of infected milk.
The carvings are impregnated with an actual fragment of ancient DNA (aDNA), known as an insertion element, which is an indicator for tuberculosis-causing organisms, in this case Mycobacterium bovis (bovine tuberculosis).
Credit: Anna Dumitriu in collaboration with Professor Mike Taylor, supported by an Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship from the University of Surrey.
aDNA.
Animal bone, metal, IS1081 insertion element amplified from bovine tuberculosis DNA found in Iron Age remains.
This contemporary animal bone has been carved with textures that explore the processes of bioarchaeology and of infection with bovine tuberculosis – a zoonotic disease that has been transferred to humans from livestock since ancient times, often through the consumption of infected milk.
The carvings are impregnated with an actual fragment of ancient DNA (aDNA), known as an insertion element, which is an indicator for tuberculosis-causing organisms, in this case Mycobacterium bovis (bovine tuberculosis).
Credit: Anna Dumitriu in collaboration with Professor Mike Taylor, supported by an Institute of Advanced Studies Fellowship from the University of Surrey.
Microbe Mouth.
Materials: Porcelain, silk, gold wire, hydroxyapatite.
This necklace explores how the oral microbiome is teeming with bacteria and considers what the future may hold for us if teeth can be grown in the lab using biomineralizing bacteria. The handmade porcelain teeth that make up this necklace have been glazed with glazes derived from various bacterial species which live in our mouths and cause tooth decay and gum disease, including Porphyromonas gingivalis that can introduce an iron-containing light brown stain to the glaze. At the centre of the necklace hangs a tooth which was grown in the lab using an extremophile bacteria which is part of the species called Serratia (Serratia N14) that can produce hydroxyapatite, the same substance that tooth enamel is made from.
Credit: Anna Dumitriu, Dr Melissa Grant and Rachel Sammons at the University of Birmingham. Commissioned by The Science Gallery London.
Syphilis Dress.
Materials: Edwardian cotton underdress, embroidery silk, botanical printing with madder soaked eucalyptus with ferrous sulphate dip, and DNA of Treponema subsp. Treponema strain Nichols.
This artwork explores the history and future of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, known as ‘The Great Pox’. The dress is embroidered with images of the bacterium observed in the laboratory and those embroideries are impregnated with the DNA of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum strain Nichols extracted by the artist under the supervision of Grillova and Lacey. This DNA is non-infectious.
Credit: Anna Dumitriu, in collaboration with scientists Dr Linda Grillova, George Lacey and Professor Nicholas Thomson. Supported by Arts Council England.
Coming Back.
Materials: Wood, antique brass door handle, TB DNA from the Euro-American strain, paint.
This antique door has been carved with textures that are reminiscent of the damage caused in the lung by tuberculosis. The antique door handle comes from a former TB sanatorium and is marked with the two-bar cross, the symbol of the American Lung Association’s ‘crusade’ against TB. The carvings and door handle have been inoculated with DNA from the Euro-American TB strain. The painted forms remind us of TB multiplying inside cells as the disease spreads in populations.
Credit: Anna Dumitriu, inspired by the research of Dr Tim Walker, Modernising Medical Microbiology/CRyPTIC, University of Oxford. Supported by Arts Council England.
Chitturi Ramya
Pink Roses.
Keratin pearls in a case of squamous cell carcinoma.
Ganglion.
Fern pattern in ganglion cyst of wrist.
Credit: Chitturi Ramya, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Guntur Medical College, India.
Deeksha Sikri
A Pathological Breakfast.
I’d like to introduce you to a whimsical breakfast scene with a twist. It’s a delightful exploration of pathology, where you can check out various food-named pathology findings. This breakfast table has everything for a hearty meal: fruits, desserts, fried eggs, bread, and of course, coffee!
Cacti and a Desert Sky.
Enjoy this view of a starry desert sky. Four types of intestinal polyps are shown as cacti, an excellent educational tool for comparing their histological findings.
Credit: Deeksha Sikri, Pathodoodles.
Kaitlyn Niznik
Intact vs Distorted.
As an art teacher and chronically-ill artist, I enjoy shedding light on lymphocytic colitis and other lesser-known IBDs. I use markers, watercolors, and an Xacto knife to carefully cut out my pieces. This piece was inspired by interest in crypt architecture seen in colitis histologies.
Credit: Kaitlyn Niznik, Art Teacher, Hudson Valley, New York, USA.
Maaia Jentus
Abstract Anatomy I.
In this picture, I explored possibilities to simplify human anatomy to make it unrecognizable to the untrained eye.
The Container of Life.
This work was created especially for this issue. Concerned for years about micro and nanoplastics pollution (particularly our impact through the vast amount of one-way healthcare products) my work with cell cultures for PhD studies has only heightened these concerns. Despite the availability of sustainable, reusable, and safe options, there is still a way to go in choosing sustainability over the "use just once and destroy" mentality in every decision we make as a society. To metaphorically illustrate this concept, the left side of the image shows cells (SDAR1) in fresh pinkish medium in a Petri dish, while the right side depicts unhappy cells in older, yellowed medium in a plastic cell culture flask.
The Dissecting Mind.
A dissected painting consisting of six square panels. Seasoned pathology staff will recognize the shadows of organs in situ while staying on the long side of the autopsy table.
Credit: Maaia Jentus, Resident in Clinical and Molecular Pathology, PhD Candidate in Endocrine Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Pascual Meseguer Garcia
Uneasiness.
Feeling the same unease as Edvard Munch, in his work "The Scream'', I was shocked when I saw the immunohistochemistry of HSV-1 in an AIDS patient's esophageal biopsy.
Strongmen lifting asbestos bodies.
Seeing these ferruginous asbestos bodies in a BAS cytology, I couldn't help but think that circus strongmen would have no problem lifting these weights. Since the weight is inclined, it is a lot more difficult to balance with just one finger and is about to fall.
Credit: Pascual Meseguer Garcia (@Histopatolomon), Head of the Pathology Service at the LLuís Alcanyís Hospital in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain.
Priya Suneja
Dancing Poodle.
Cytology image showing a cluster of malignant cells arranged interestingly, with sheer resemblance to that of a happy dancing poodle dog.
Night by the Seashore.
Cytology image is of thin colloid showing its cracking artifact. The moon and stars have been additionally added to the picture, and the crackling colloid is imagined as crashing waves of the sea shining under the moonlight.
Credit: Priya Suneja, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Thu Ly and Rucha Karnik
“Stomatal universe” of Begonias.
Stomata patterns from Begonia collections at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh imaged under 10X magnification. Inspired by stomata controlling carbon dioxide diffusion and water transpiration in plants, we noted the fascinating diversity of stomata patterns resembling different planets' surfaces and named them "universe."
Stomata patterns from Begonia collections at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh imaged under 10X magnification. Inspired by stomata controlling carbon dioxide diffusion and water transpiration in plants, we noted the fascinating diversity of stomata patterns resembling different planets' surfaces and named them "universe."
Stomata patterns from Begonia collections at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh imaged under 10X magnification. Inspired by stomata controlling carbon dioxide diffusion and water transpiration in plants, we noted the fascinating diversity of stomata patterns resembling different planets' surfaces and named them "universe."
Stomata patterns from Begonia collections at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh imaged under 10X magnification. Inspired by stomata controlling carbon dioxide diffusion and water transpiration in plants, we noted the fascinating diversity of stomata patterns resembling different planets' surfaces and named them "universe."
Credit: Thu Ly and Rucha Karnik, Karnik Lab, Plant Science Research Group, School of Molecular Biosciences & Histology Research Service, University of Glasgow, UK.
Chris Mason
Diagnostic Drawings
Credit: Chris Mason, retired NHS consultant, RD&E, Exeter, UK.
Vasudev Prabhu
Pathology and Patient care.
Pathologists care for patients health and life by early and right diagnosis at the right time and place.
Starry sky lakeside.
A high grade burkitt lymphoma "Artified" on a starry sky lakeside.
Credit: Vasudev Prabhu, Senior Resident, Department of Pathology, Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Deralakatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka state, India.
Virginia Fernandez
War thin Tumor.
My favorite benign tumor of the salivary gland created with watercolor paints.
Fibroadenoma.
I drew this after I was diagnosed with it.
Benign prostatic glands and stroma.
Benign thyroid tissue.
Credit: Virginia Fernandez, Pathology Resident, University of Miami Health System/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, USA.
James S. Lewis Jr.
Alien Brain Perineural Invasion.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma with perineural invasion.
Credit: James S. Lewis Jr. Senior Associate Consultant, Mayo Clinic Arizona (Scottsdale Campus), USA.
Sanchez Granel German
Horror Smile.
Photograph of a histology sample.
The Tissue Eye.
Photograph of a histology sample.
Credit: Sanchez Granel German, Laboratorio Quantum, Rosario, Argentina.
Misha Dalal
Banksy Meets White Blood Cells.
Digital artwork of a young girl reaching for white blood cells pictured as balloons. Inspired by the famous Banksy painting.
Credit: Misha Dalal, Medical Student, Government Medical College Surat, Gujarat, India.
Mariana Duarte Ribeiro
Chordoma.
Concept art of a chordoma arising from the sacrum, based on a gross photograph.
Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.
This is a watercolor pencil medical illustration based on a gross photograph of papillary renal cell carcinoma by surgical pathologist Tiago Oliveira.
Credit: Mariana Duarte Ribeiro, Biomedical Laboratory Scientist at Surgical Pathology Unit of Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
Abdul-Azeez R. Raazol
SchoolBoy Leukemia.
My previous work as a laboratory technician at the Curie Institute of Paris inspired me to use art to bring wellness to patients and staff, leading me to create Histosmile – delivering smiles to hospitals through Pouring art. This piece is dedicated to a friend who had leukemia.
Credit: Abdul-Azeez R. Raazol, Histosmile, France.
Anna Poputchikova
Signet-ring Cell Carcinoma Infiltration.
Realistic style histopathological painting, created during my first pathology rotation as a resident. Fusion of watercolour, acrylic paints, joy, and excitement at the beginning of a new journey in the professional environment.
Credit: Anna Poputchikova, Resident, University of Padua, Italy.
Shruti Shemawat
The Patho Bride.
In India, the wedding lehanga (dress) is the most important attire for the bride in her wedding. This artwork is a version of my dream lehenga that combines my passion and hobby together. A faceless bride signifies the pivotal role of pathologists in diagnosis while staying behind the curtains.
Credit: Shruti Shemawat, Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Science and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Maria D. Lozano
Cyto-Swan.
Spotted in fine-needle aspiration of the pancreas in groups of contaminated normal duodenal epithelial cells.
Credit: Maria D. Lozano, Department of Pathology, Clinica University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Ewan Parry
The Dark Side of the Mos.
Gravid female Anopheles mosquito from Burkina Faso with H&E staining (left) and a fluorescent confocal image (right).
Credit: Ewan Parry, Postdoctoral researcher, Sinkins Lab, Centre for Virus Research & Histology Research Service, College of MVLS, University of Glasgow, UK.
Amy Engevik
Tuft Cells.
The murine small intestine was immunostained to show rare tuft cells (white). Intestinal laminin in the mesenchyme under the epithelial cells is yellow. The lateral membrane of epithelial cells is purple. Nuclei stained with Hoechst appear cyan/teal.
Credit: Amy Engevik, Assistant Professor, Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.
Syed Salahuddin Ahmed
Floral Hooklets.
Scolex hooklets from a hydatid cyst resembling a flower garden.
Credit: Syed Salahuddin Ahmed, retired Professor and Senior Consultant of Pathology, Delta Hospital Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Woo Cheal Cho
Cracking Pathology.
Discover the artistry of Pathology as Schiller-Duval bodies of yolk sac tumor metamorphose into an Easter egg masterpiece!
Cracking Pathology.
Discover the artistry of Pathology as Schiller-Duval bodies of yolk sac tumor metamorphose into an Easter egg masterpiece!
Cracking Pathology.
Discover the artistry of Pathology as Schiller-Duval bodies of yolk sac tumor metamorphose into an Easter egg masterpiece!
Credit: Woo Cheal Cho, Assistant Professor, Section of Dermatopathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
Frédérique Meeuwsen
Crochet Cardiology.
My latest medical crochet work. One of my fellow residents defended her PhD regarding the development of the heart, so I gifted her this self-made little thing. It actually wore a graduation cap as well, but the owner removed it. I was aware that I did not fully capture the exact anatomy, however the recipient was still very happy with it.
Credit: Frédérique Meeuwsen, Pathology resident, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Christopher Candela
Through the Looking Glass.
This is a stained-glass microscope.
Credit: Christopher Candela, White Coat Artistry, Michigan, USA.
Sophia Chandrasekar
Mini-lab cross stitch.
Inspired by enjoyment of creating cross stitch designs and the current trend of miniatures of everyday items, this cross stitch was my attempt to recreate and design the lab in miniature. My personal favorite designs are the mini microscope, pipette, and sharps container.
Credit: Sophia Chandrasekar, Warbler Works Studio.
Deputy Editor, The Pathologist
