Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary Consultation Service

The GI-Hepatobiliary pathology division offers consultation service for biopsies and resections of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. A wide armamentarium of immunohistochemical stains and specialized assays such as albumin in situ hybridization, fluorescence in situ hybridization and institutional next generation sequencing assay covering 500 genes (UCSF 500) is available for diagnostic use. Electron microscopy is available when necessary.

The UCSF GI-Hepatobiliary pathology consult service was started by Dr. Linda Ferrell and over the years has gained national and international recognition with more than 1500 consultation cases per year covering both adult and pediatric medical liver diseases, liver tumors, and neoplastic as well as non-neoplastic gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary diseases. These include challenging cases sent by pathologists as well as cases submitted for second opinion by patients and treating physicians. For the latter situations, a copy of the report is provided to the original pathologist. Please feel free to call our consultants before submitting a case to discuss pertinent details, or after the case has been signed out to discuss the diagnosis and provide follow-up.

MEET YOUR EXPERT GI-HEPATOBILIARY PATHOLOGISTS

The consultation service is primarily handled by Drs. Sanjay Kakar, Grace Kim, and Ryan Gill, with assistance from Drs. Soo-Jin Cho (added expertise in Pediatric Pathology and Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology) and Rageshree Ramachandran. Dr. Ferrell is occasionally available to consult on a case, as an Emeritus Professor, Collectively, we have published over 400 manuscripts on the liver and GI and pancreaticobiliary pathology, over 50 textbooks or chapters, and provided numerous lectures and courses at national and international meetings. 

 

Linda D. Ferrell, MDLinda D. Ferrell, MD

Distinguished Professor Emerita

Dr. Linda Ferrell trained under Sir Roderick MacSween and, as one of the foremost liver pathology experts, began accepting GI & Hepatobiliary consultations from around the world and training a future generation of liver/GI pathology subspecialists.

Sanjay Kakar, MDSanjay Kakar, MD

Professor

Head, UCSF GI and Hepatobiliary Service

UCSF Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Fellowship Director

Past President, Rodger C. Haggitt GI Path Society

Past President, Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society

Dr. Sanjay Kakar joined UCSF after completing a GI-hepatobiliary and molecular pathology fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and has directed the GI & Hepatobiliary Pathology fellowship program since 2015.

Grace E. Kim, MDGrace E. Kim, MD

Professor

Board Certified Pediatric Pathologist

Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society, Founding Member (2015), Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society Secretary-Treasurer (2020-present) and Executive Committee Member (2016-present), Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society (https://pbpath.org/about-us/)

Past Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Committee Member (2015-2021), Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society

Dr. Grace Kim is Professor of Pathology with long-standing expertise in pancreatic, liver and GI tract pathology.

Ryan M. Gill, MD, PhDRyan M. Gill, MD, PhD

Professor

Director, Anatomic Pathology Laboratories, UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights

Board Certified Hematopathologist

Fellowship trained in GI & Liver Pathology (UCSF)

Lifetime member, International Liver Pathology Study Group (The Elves)

Dr. Ryan Gill is a board-certified hematopathologist and completed liver/GI fellowship training under Dr. Linda Ferrell.  He is the Director of Anatomic Pathology Laboratories at the UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights and was elected as a lifetime member to the International Liver Pathology Study Group (The Elves) in 2017.

Rageshree Ramachandran, MD, PhDRageshree Ramachandran, MD, PhD

Professor

Director of Medical Education

Fellowship trained in GI & Liver Pathology (UCSF)

Soo-Jin Cho, MD, PhDSoo-Jin Cho, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Board Certified Pediatric Pathologist

Fellowship trained in GI & Liver Pathology (UCSF)

RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND BOOK CHAPTERS BY OUR EXPERTS

Books

Liver Tumor
  • Chen B, et al. Gastroenterology. 2017 Mar 8. pii: S0016-5085(17)30264-0
  • Hale G, et al. Mod Pathol. 2016 Nov;29(11):1370-1380
  • Tsokos CG, et al. Hum Pathol. 2016 Nov;57:61-67
  • Gill RM, et al. Hum Pathol. 2016 Aug;54:143-51
  • Cho SJ et al. Hum Pathol 2016, 50:135-9
  • Balabaud C, et al. Hum Pathol 2015, 46(4): 634-5
  • Kakar S, et al. Modern Pathology 2015, 28(1): 159-60
  • Shafizadeh N, et al. Hum Pathol 2014, 45(5):976-83
  • Kakar S, et al. Mod Pathol 2014, 27(11):1499-509
  • Kakar S, et al. Hum Pathol 2014, 45(3):660-1
  • Joseph NM, et al. Mod Pathol 2014, 27(1):62-72
  • Kakar S, et al. Hum Pathol 2014, 45(3):660-1
  • Evason KJ, et al. Hum Pathol 2013, 44(5)5:750-8
NASH
  • Tsai JH, et al. Mod Pathol. 2017 Mar 3. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2017.13
  • Ajmera V, et al. Hepatology. 2017 Jan;65(1):65-77
  • Yang JD, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Jan;15(1):127-131.e2
  • Gill RM and Kakar S. Surg Pathol Clin 2013, 6(2):227-258
  • Guy CD, et al. Hum Pathol 2012, 43(6):790-800
  • Bhamba K, et al. Hepatology 2012, 55(3):769-80
  • Gill RM, et al. Am J Surg Pathol 2011,35(9):1400-4
Liver Transplant
  • Choi WT, et al. Am J Surg Pathol. 2017 Mar;41(3):365-373
General Hepatobiliary
  • Geha R, et al. N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 2;376(9):869-874
  • Giard JM, et al. ACG Case Rep J. 2016 Nov 23;3(4):e162
  • Choi WT, et al. Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2016 May 19;10(1):81-7

For More Information

Instructions - Sending Cases for Consultation

Please include the following documents:

  1. Completed Surgical Pathology Consultation Requisition Form.
  2. Cover letter on letterhead from the ordering physician with phone and fax # directed to the “UCSF GI Hepatobiliary Pathology Consultation Service”.
  3. Request for review by a specific consultant can be made, which will be accommodated when possible.
  4. All pathology reports pertaining to the consult case(s).
  5. Insurance billing information as directed on the requisition form.
  6. Providing unstained slides or blocks along with the slides can expedite the case.