A group of specialists at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine have collaborated to form a new center that will diagnose and provide advice on how to treat diseases of the mouth, face, and jaw in animals while also contributing to research and education about these conditions.
Staffed by board-certified specialists in veterinary diagnostic pathology, veterinary oncology, and veterinary dentistry and oral surgery, the Center for Comparative Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (CCOMP) will serve simultaneously as a diagnostic oral and maxillofacial laboratory and clinical consultation service for veterinarians.
“This is the only veterinary medicine lab dedicated solely to the diagnosis and study of oral and maxillofacial pathology in North America,” says Jason Soukup, a clinical assistant professor of dentistry and oral surgery and co-founder and co-director of the center.
CCOMP co-directors Cindy Mattan-Bell and Jason Soukup analyze a tissue sample.
On the diagnostic end, CCOMP will review and interpret hard or soft tissue biopsy samples submitted by veterinarians through a broad range of services. CCOMP uses conventional histopathologic interpretation, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry for analyzing soft tissue samples and specialized histology techniques, such as ground section preparation and microradiographic analysis, for examinations of bone and tooth samples.
To complement tissue evaluations, a board-certified dentist or medical oncologist from CCOMP will offer expert consultation for complete patient management, including information on treatment options, prognosis, and follow-up care.
In addition to its clinical services, CCOMP will serve as a central repository for the collection of oral and maxillofacial pathology specimens.
“As our collection grows, CCOMP will become a tremendous source of data and information for both research and teaching,” says Soukup. “This will allow the center to foster a greater understanding of oral pathology and contribute to education and collaborative research efforts.”
Soukup’s fellow co-directors include Cindy Mattan-Bell, a clinical instructor of pathobiological sciences and chief diagnostic pathologist, and Timothy Stein, assistant professor of oncology and clinical consultant. Richard Dubielzig, professor of pathology, also serves as a consultant for the center.
For more about CCOMP, including sample submission forms and submission guidance, visit www.vetmed.wisc.edu/dss/CCOMP. The CCOMP staff also can be reached at soukupj@vetmed.wisc.edu, 608-262-5432 ext. 1228, or 608-890-3988.
Nik Hawkins
