Long Course: Diagnosing Distinctive Lesions of the Head and Neck

Long Course: Diagnosing Distinctive Lesions of the Head and Neck
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
8:00 AM- 5:30 PM

Credits: 6 CME and 5.75 SAMs

Course Director: Lester Thompson, MD, Woodland Hills Medical Center, Woodland Hills, CA

Course Description: There has been a remarkable increase in the knowledge about tumors, tumor development and tumor genetics in the past 15 years since the last long course devoted to head and neck pathology. Many new entities have been described, with their diagnostic criteria and ancillary supporting findings elucidated. The differential diagnostic considerations of the head and neck are broad, due in part to the wide diversity of organs, many tissue types, and the often very limited size of biopsy samples. The differences between benign, reactive lesions and lethal malignancies may be quite subtle. The primary goal of this course is to present practical, common, every-day cases across a broad spectrum of anatomic sites, discussing the development of differential diagnoses based on clinical and imaging findings, histologic features and additional techniques that allow for an appropriate diagnosis to be reached. These diagnoses will be put in the context of management and outcome differences, highlighting entities that provoke a broad differential diagnosis. The major topics will include sinonasal tract tumors, newly described and basaloid salivary gland tumors, oropharyngeal carcinomas, lichenoid lesions of the oral cavity, the viral-associated tumors of the nasopharynx, odontogenic cysts and tumors, squamous lesions of the larynx, with a focused discussion on how and when to use molecular and genetic techniques. Information to be included in the 2016-17 WHO classification will be discussed. The lectures are intended for general surgical pathologists, oral pathologists and pathology residents and fellows.