Medical webwatch.

Oral Pathology http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/opfs/ from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry is a large library of images illuminating a variety of oral diseases. Each series offers gross pathology, x-ray plates, and histological slides. The enlargeable thumbnails are accompanied by succinct summaries that describe manifestation, exploration, diagnosis, treatment, etc. It is a fast food-for-thought menu in tasty bite-sized portions. Access to the library is via "Index of Topics" or "Index of Diseases."

Case of the Month http://path.upmc.edu/casemonth.html from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, opens via "Anatomic Pathology," or "Clinical Pathology," to offer "Cases of the Month." This is a library of cases that date back to 1995. The clinical history is illustrated with histological and immunohistochemical slides, occasional specimens of gross pathology, intra-operative presentations, x-rays, and scans. Final diagnosis and in-depth discussion are reserved for viewing following your consideration. This considerable archive is a rich vein of teaching material.

The Interactive Pathology Laboratory http://peir.path.uab.edu/iplab/ was developed under the supervision of Dr. Peter Anderson, Professor of Pathology, University of Alabama, for use by the faculty and students of the Department of Pathology. The cases are gathered under 13 classifications with the subcategories being described via "Clinical Summary," "Autopsy Findings," and "Images." The images are of both gross and microscopic pathology and are followed by a short selection of study questions and revealed answers. Additional resources offered are "References," "Other Websites," "Journal Articles," "Images," and "Web Directories." The augmentation of the synopses with links to outsourced information ensures that this web site will provide a complete resource for each of the pathologies considered.

Museum of Human Disease http://web.med.unsw.edu.au/pathmus/ at the Donald Wilhelm Museum of Human Disease, University of New South Wales, Australia, has some beautiful images of pathology specimens in "pots." These are accompanied by "History of Illness," "Description of Specimen," and "Comment." The images have interactive rollover that activates anatomically specific descriptions of the underlying pathology. Although the museum has many specimens there are only 24 items presented online. The museum was established in the early 1960s by Professor Donald Wilhelm, the Foundation Professor of Pathology at the University. The attraction of this web site is the quality of the images of the "bits in pots" that are a real educational legacy.

Paleopathology http://www.pathology.vcu.edu/paleo/a_contents_table.html from the Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Pathology, has 84 cases going way back to 3rd century AD. The illustrated pathology is accompanied by a brief description of the historical age of specimen, the age and gender of individual, where found, date, etc, followed by a very brief consideration of the diagnosis. The interest lies in the historicity of the human pathology and with the thought of the concomitant discomfort in an era devoid of modern medical technology. Also on this website is a student education page http://www.pathology.vcu.edu/education/education.html where each category offers an interesting "Index of Slides" topic. The slides presented are of both gross and microscopic pathology. Finally your visit can be rounded off by attending an up-to-date Grand Rounds http://www.pathology.vcu.edu/news/rounds.html

Forensic Medicine http://www.dundee.ac.uk/forensicmedicine/llb/timedeath.htm#Time%20of%20Death is written by Derrick J. Pounder, University of Dundee, United Kingdom. In 8 plain paragraphs this forensic medicine page describes post mortem changes as a guide to the estimation of the time of death. These succinct notes contain considerable detail.

For a more "juicy" presentation visit Forensic Entomology http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/webcast-forensicentomology/forensic-entomology.html from Natural History Museum, United Kingdom. Time of death is not always easy to determine at a crime scene, but insects found in and around the body can provide much-needed clues. Martin Hall of the Entomology Department is an expert in decoding insect activity, and the audiovisual presentation will lift the lid on this fast growing aspect to forensic science.

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