28th ANNUAL EASTERN FISH HEALTH WORKSHOP April 21-25, 2003 Updating The Registry Of Tumors In Lower Animals Jeffrey C. Wolf1, Marilyn J. Wolfe1, Esther Peters2, Phyllis Spero1 1Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals, Experimental Pathology Laboratories, 22866 Shaw Rd., Sterling, VA  20166; 2Tetra Tech, Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340, Fairfax, VA 22030 Sponsored by The National Cancer Institute since 1965, the Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals (RTLA) has archived pathologic specimens from cold-blooded vertebrates and invertebrates.   This collection has more than 7,400 accessions that include wet tissues, paraffin blocks, glass slides, photographs, illustrations, radiographs, ultrastructural studies, historical data, and bibliographic references.  The RTLA acquires, categorizes, and houses tumor and non-tumor specimens from contributors worldwide.  Also, the RTLA: provides diagnostic services to scientists investigating spontaneous or induced lesions in lower animals; sponsors seminars and workshops in the microanatomy and diseases of lower animals; participates in collaborative and original research; and is an epidemiological information center.  Accession No. 2609 is a typical RTLA case presented as a mass on the dorsum of an adult Oranda goldfish and was subsequently diagnosed as an erythrophoroma (dermal pigment cell neoplasm).  The contributor provided a case history, wet tissues, color gross photographs, histological sections, electron micrographs, and a 35 mm film that demonstrates affected behavior.  Other irreplaceable items in the archives include neoplasms identified in surveys worldwide, lesions described in groundbreaking historical papers, and the research collections of several prominent scientists. Concomitant with the recent transfer of the RTLA from George Washington University to Experimental Pathology Laboratories (EPL®) in Sterling, Virginia, is a mandate to expand and modernize. Proposals include the design of a new facility, renovation of the electronic database, and creation of a website (www.pathology-registry.org).   In cooperation with GMA Industries, Inc., the new database and integrated website will permit searches for case submissions and other pertinent Registry materials, serve as forum for scientific discussion and collaboration, allow interactive participation in case diagnosis, and provide links to other websites.  The site also utilizes a virtual microscopy system, in which whole slide scanning will be used to produce high-resolution “mosaic” images of histological sections.  This enables website users to selectively enlarge any portion of an image as if changing to a higher magnification microscope objective.  This presentation will highlight different types of interactive services that the RTLA will make available to the scientific community. Return to 28th Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop Return to Leetown Science Center Home Page