Department of Pathological Anatomy

Founded in 1923.

The department was headed by E.T. Shek-Hovhannisyan (1937–1939), V.T. Gabrielyan (1946–1963), Prof. A.H. Beglaryan (1963–1985), Prof. N.D. Vardazaryan (1986–2006), Prof. N.G. Khostikyan (2006–2020), and Prof. K.M. Baroyan (acting head, 2021–2024). Since 2024, the department has been headed by Associate Professor N.Yu. Karalyan.

In 1923, at the initiative of Prof. P. Hakobyan, the Department of Pathological Anatomy was established at the Medical Faculty of Yerevan State University. Until 1946, the department was led by several scientists, after which the prominent pathologist-anatomist V.T. Gabrielyan headed the department for a long period.

In 1963, Prof. A. Beglaryan, a student of the Russian school of pathological anatomy and disciple of renowned pathologists A.I. Abrikosov and A.I. Strukov, became head of the department. He brought new momentum to scientific research and academic development. A problem-oriented scientific laboratory was established within the department, where young scientists studied for over 20 years the morphology of rheumatic diseases, progressive systemic connective tissue lesions, and the role of streptococcal and other bacterial infections in the development of these diseases.

The Department of Pathological Anatomy nurtured and trained many distinguished scientists, including Academician L.N. Mkrtchyan, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences; Prof. A.V. Aznauryan, Head of the Department of Histology; Prof. N.D. Vardazaryan; Prof. A.S. Kanayan; Prof. A.V. Zilfyan; and Prof. N.G. Khostikyan. Prof. J.G. Gevorgyan made a major contribution to pediatric pathological anatomy and practical pathology.

Pathological Anatomy is taught in Armenian, Russian, and English at the Faculties of General Medicine, Dentistry, and Military Medicine. The Clinical Morphology course (autopsy-biopsy course) for sixth-year General Medicine students is organized as a one-week cycle of practical sessions conducted at the department’s clinical bases.

The curriculum for third-year students is divided into general and special sections, studied during the fifth and sixth semesters in a modular format. Classrooms are equipped with monitors and microscopes, while practical classes use micro- and macro-preparations, methodological manuals prepared by lecturers, and thematic slides.

The department staff have developed teaching manuals and translated textbooks into Armenian. Under the editorship and co-authorship of Prof. N.G. Khostikyan, the following publications were issued: “Pathological Anatomy: General Pathology,” “Atlas of General Pathological Anatomy,” “Clinical Morphology,” and the English-language manual “Pathology of the Oral Cavity.”

A student scientific group called “PathoGenius” was established within the department. Its aim is to provide interested students with deeper knowledge of pathological processes, involve them in research activities, prepare scientific reports, and publish articles.

Postgraduate education in the department is carried out through postgraduate studies and clinical residency programs in cooperation with the Postgraduate Department of Pathology.

For many years, the department conducted scientific studies dedicated to the etiology, pathology, and morphology of rheumatic diseases. Numerous studies focused on the immunomorphological analysis of healthy carriage of hemolytic streptococcus and its “L” forms in chronic tonsillitis.

Research directions also included morphological studies of the neuroendocrine system, myocardium, joints, parasitic infections, and inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive system using modern methodologies. Later, research expanded to include inflammatory and tumor pathologies of the urinary bladder and prostate, as well as morphological studies of functional disorders of the large intestine.

Doctoral and candidate dissertations have been supervised and defended by department staff. The department’s research has gained international recognition. Faculty members have presented reports in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tashkent, Paris, San Francisco, Australia, Amsterdam, Washington, New Orleans, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and Norway.

Prof. N.G. Khostikyan was a member of the editorial board of the journal “Archive of Pathology” and President of the Armenian Scientific Association of Pathologists.

Every year, the department staff publish scientific articles, including papers in international journals with impact factors. Current research directions include:

• Morphological features of deaths caused by viral lesions of unknown origin and possible interspecies transmission pathways
• Early detection and prognosis of genitourinary tumors using modern histogenetic methods
• Artificial intelligence in pathology

The department’s academic staff, as practicing pathologists, provide pathological-anatomical services in Heratsi University Hospital, Muratsan University Clinic, and the Mikaelyan Institute of Surgery, as well as other medical centers in Yerevan. They actively participate in the organization of healthcare, disease diagnosis, and training of specialists in the Republic of Armenia.

The department collaborates with the Postgraduate Departments of Pathology, Emergency Abdominal Surgery, and Pharmacology of YSMU, as well as with the Virology and Cell Biology Laboratory of the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the Armenian-German Scientific- Practical Center of Pathology “Histogen.”