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Topical Update

Brief Review of Hand Hygiene: from Basics to Recent Developments

Brief Review of Hand Hygiene: from Basics to Recent Developments

Dr LUI, Leo

Specialty Coordinator (Clinical Microbiology and Infection), Education Committee. The Hong Kong College of Pathologists

Volume 21, Issue 1, Jan 2026  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Hand hygiene is a key infection prevention and control measure in the healthcare settings, where vulnerabilities and gaps have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the problem of healthcare-associated infection remains substantial and continues to pose serious risks to patients worldwide. With the recent advancements of innovative technology, it is uncertain how has the field of hand hygiene changed, or if at all. In this review we shall revisit the...

Pathology of Vertebral Artery Trauma

Pathology of Vertebral Artery Trauma

Dr FOO Ka-chung

Specialty Coordinator (Forensic Pathology), Education Committee The Hong Kong College of Pathologists

Volume 20, Issue 2, July 2025  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Vertebral artery trauma involves potentially fatal injury that can lead to catastrophic outcomes including subarachnoid haemorrhage and cerebral ischemia. The pathology typically includes vessel rupture or dissection, which usually results from blunt trauma to the neck. Its severity often results in rapid collapse without prominent external findings. This Topical Update provides a proper approach to the diagnosis, etiology and mechanism of trauma. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct...

Updates from the Thyroid WHO Classification and Bethesda System

Updates from the Thyroid WHO Classification and Bethesda System

Dr. Angela Zaneta CHAN

Department of Anatomical & Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Volume 20, Issue 1, Jan 2025  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

With the release of the 5th edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumours and 3rd edition of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology, major changes have been made in thyroid pathology and cytopathology. This topical update provides a review on selected new entities and changes in terminology in thyroid pathology, and updates to the Bethesda reporting system. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct...

Viscoelastic Haemostatic Assays in Clinical Practice

Viscoelastic Haemostatic Assays in Clinical Practice

Dr Joyce KWONG and Dr Eudora CHOW

Consultant Haematologists, Department of Pathology, United Christian Hospital, Hospital Authority

Volume 19, Issue 2, July 2024  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Viscoelastic haemostatic assays have emerged as a popular rapid point-of-care test to assess haemostasis in bleeding patients and serve to guide patient-tailored transfusion strategies. In this issue of Topical Update, Drs Joyce KWONG and Eudora CHOW share their valuable experience of using viscoelastic haemostatic assays to investigate and guide treatment in patients with challenging bleeding tendency. We welcome any feedback or suggestion. Please direct them to...

Screening of DPD Deficiency before Fluoropyrimidine Chemotherapy

Screening of DPD Deficiency before Fluoropyrimidine Chemotherapy

Dr Felix Wong

Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Queen Mary Hospital

Volume 19, Issue 1, Jan 2024  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

Screening of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency before systemic fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy can improve safety and prevent the occurrence of the associated toxicity. Both genotyping and phenotyping approaches have been advocated. In this review, Dr Felix Wong compares and contrasts both approaches and explains the upcoming situation in Hong Kong in the near future. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct them to Dr Esther Hung of Education Committee, the Hong Kong...

Melioidosis: an urban outbreak in Hong Kong

Melioidosis: an urban outbreak in Hong Kong

Dr. Kristine LUK, Dr. May LEE and Dr. Wing Kin TO

Consultant Microbiologists, Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hospital Authority

Volume 18, Issue 2, July 2023  (download full article in pdf)

Editorial note:

There was a significant upsurge of cases of melioidosis in Hong Kong in 2022, especially in the Kowloon region, raising public awareness to the condition. In this issue of the Topical Update, Drs. Kristine Luk, May Lee and WK To share their experience in investigating and managing the cases. We welcome any feedback or suggestion. Please direct them to Dr. Janice Lo (e-mail: janicelo@dh.gov.hk), Education Committee, The Hong Kong...

A Review on Complement Diagnostics

A Review on Complement Diagnostics


Volume 18, Issue 1, Jan 2023  (download full article in pdf)


Editorial note:


The complement system though commonly regarded as component of the innate immune system that protect our bodies from infection, it has increasingly evident that it has important roles in other immune surveillance and housekeeping functions, that it is involved in a wide and diverse range of clinical conditions. In this review, Dr Elaine Au provided an overview of the complement diagnostics and its clinical applications. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct them to Dr Elaine Au of Education Committee, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or named...

Molecular diagnostics for breast cancer

Molecular diagnostics for breast cancer


Volume 17, Issue 2, July 2022  (download full article in pdf)


Editorial note:


New molecular techniques have contributed to the ever-expanding armamentarium for breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognostication. Since the molecular classification of breast cancer was established, pathologists have been using immunohistochemistry and DNA sequencing techniques to routinely grade and subtype breast cancer. RNA expression profiling using various platforms such as microarrays, quantitative PCR and Nanostring has also been used to guide patient treatment in early diseases. This topical update provides a concise review on the current diagnostic and prognostic modalities in breast cancer management. We welcome any feedback or...

Measurable residual disease (MRD) for Haematological Malignancy

Measurable residual disease (MRD) for Haematological Malignancy


Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2022  (download full article in pdf)


Editorial note:


Measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring has emerged as an important indicator for risk stratification and treatment planning in patients with haematological malignancies. In the past decade, various techniques in measuring MRD have become available in Hong Kong. In this Topical Update, Dr. YIP Sze-fai provides an overview of the current techniques available for MRD monitoring. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct them to Dr. Alvin IP of Education Committee, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or named individuals,...

Combined metabolomics and genomics approach for the diagnosis of inherited metabolic disorders (IMD)

Combined metabolomics and genomics approach for the diagnosis of inherited metabolic disorders (IMD)


Volume 16, Issue 2, July 2021  (download full article in pdf)


Editorial note:


In this topical update, Dr Eric Law reviews and updates on the current development in metabolomics and genomics and their integrated approach in the study of inherited metabolic disorders (IMD). We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Please direct them to Dr. Sammy Chen of Education Committee, the Hong Kong College of Pathologists. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or named individuals, and are not necessarily those of the Hong Kong College of Pathologists.



Dr Chun-yiu LAW

Consultant,...