Pathology Encountered During Cadaver Dissection Provides an Opportunity for Case‐based Learning

Abstract

Dissection based anatomy education engages medical students in building several skills, including professionalism, problem solving, and critical thinking. During the first semester of medical school at Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine, students spend a significant amount of time dissecting and learning anatomy regionally. In addition to viewing typical structures throughout the body, cadaveric dissection also allows for the opportunity to discover and learn from pathology that may be encountered. In this case, students observed a malignant tumor (adenocarcinoma) in the right lung, accompanied by severe fibrosis of the right diaphragmatic parietal pleura. The superior, middle, and inferior lobes of the right lung were significantly reduced in size within the thoracic cavity compared with the left lung. Additionally, several gross malformations in the pulmonary tissue and cavity were observed, likely due to the malignancy. As part of this analysis, histopathology and radiology for the malignant lung tumor will be compared and reviewed against normal lung tissue and mechanisms for adenocarcinoma will be discussed. These will be used to develop a case study to facilitate peer teaching. This case provides a valuable opportunity for medical students at OUWB to connect basic anatomy to clinical presentation and develop a deeper understanding of pathophysiology of disease prior to clinical rotations.