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Subheadings (qualifiers)

Proper Use of Subheadings

  • /anat
  • /cytol
  • /pathol
  • /ultrastruct

Subheading anatomy & histology
Used with organs, regions, and tissues for normal descriptive anatomy and histology, and for the normal anatomy and structure of animals and plants (multicellular organisms).

/anat is used for articles on either gross anatomy or tissue histology. It should be interpreted as "anatomy OR histology"; the "&" does not mean that the article must discuss both.

Anatomy of the amygdaloid complex.
AMYGDALA /*anat

Histological structure of the pancreas.
PANCREAS /*anat

Subheading cytology
Used for normal cellular morphology of unicellular and multicellular organisms.

Intraepithelial lymphocytes in the normal human prostate.
PROSTATE /*cytol
INTRAEPITHELIAL LYMPHOCYTES /*cytol
HUMAN
MALE

Subheading pathology
Used for organ, tissue, or cell structure in disease states.

Used to index deviations from the normal structure of organs, tissues and cells; /anatomy & histology is used for the normal structure of organs and tissues, and /cytology is used for normal cells.

/pathology is one of the most misused and overused subheadings. It should be used ONLY if the article discusses anatomical, histological changes in the DISEASE, NOT as a substitute for "disease".

Morphology of the liver in liver cirrhosis.
LIVER CIRRHOSIS /*pathol
LIVER /*pathol

 

Anatomy of the kidney in liver cirrhosis.
LIVER CIRRHOSIS /*pathol
KIDNEY /*pathol

 

Cellular structure of the pancreas in liver cirrhosis.
LIVER CIRRHOSIS /*pathol
PANCREAS /*pathol

Subheading ultrastructure
Used with tissues and cells (including solid neoplasms) and microorganisms for microanatomic structures, generally below the size visible by light microscopy.

Unlike the subheadings /anatomy & histology and /cytology, which are reserved for normal structure with /pathology being used for abnormal structure, /ultrastructure is used for BOTH normal and pathological subcellular structure. However, /ultrastruct is not an allowable qualifier for any diseases except neoplasms, so the subheading used on any non-neoplastic disease is /pathol.

Electron microscope study of liver lysosomes.
LIVER /*ultrastruct
LYSOSOMES /*ultrastruct

 

Ultrastructural changes of the kidney in nephritis.
NEPHRITIS /*pathol
KIDNEY /*ultrastruct

 

Ultrastructural changes of the liver in liver cancer.
LIVER NEOPLASMS /*ultrastruct
LIVER /*ultrastruct

The subheading /ultrastructure cannot be used with non-solid neoplasms.

Ultrastructural changes of the liver in leukemia.
LEUKEMIA /*pathol
LIVER /*ultrastruct

Last Reviewed: December 5, 2017