Step 4 of 9 · Core Curriculum
Compartment-Based Biopsy Interpretation
Compartment-first interpretation. Identify the primary compartment, the involved substructure, and the distribution before naming a diagnosis.
For each image, ask
- Which compartment is most involved?
- Which substructure is affected?
- Is the lesion focal, diffuse, segmental, or global?
- Is the lesion active, chronic, or mixed?
- What pattern is emerging?
Glomerular compartment
- Glomerular tuft
- Capillary loops
- Mesangium
- Bowman's space
- Podocytes
- GBM
- Crescents
- Sclerosis
Vascular compartment
- Arterioles
- Interlobular arteries
- Intima
- Media
- Endothelium
- Thrombi
- Hyalinosis
- Vasculitis
Tubulointerstitial compartment
- Tubules
- Tubular basement membranes
- Interstitium
- Interstitial inflammation
- Interstitial fibrosis
- Tubular atrophy
- Casts
- Crystals
Mixed / multi-compartment
Many disease processes cross compartments. When that's the case, name each involved compartment and the dominant pattern in each before integrating.