[Pathology of infectious diseases].

The pathology of infectious diseases is an exciting interdisciplinary field, despite its niche existence that is somewhat overshadowed by tumor diagnostics. However, the strength of pathology lies in the correlation of the inflammatory patterns and pathogen detection. Moreover, corresponding tissue investigations often allow a rapid diagnosis of the disease, and additional investigations, such as immunohistochemistry or molecular pathology, enable a rapid pathogen characterization with a high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the molecular analysis allows the detection of pathogens that are difficult, dangerous or not at all to breed. It can be assumed that complex infectious diseases will increase due to iatrogenic interventions, migration, antibiotic resistance and climate change, and that pathology, in close cooperation with its treating colleagues, will increasingly play an important role in the care of patients.