During necropsy, which tissue combination is commonly collected for histology to assess systemic disease?

• A. Muscle, bone, skin, and testes.
• B. Liver, spleen, lungs, and GI tract.
• C. Hair, nails, and teeth.
• D. Adipose tissue only.

Answer: (B)

Systemic disease often leaves changes across multiple organ systems, so a standard histology panel at necropsy targets representative organs to catch disseminated pathology. The liver is a primary site for many systemic processes, reflecting metabolic disturbances, toxic injury, infectious involvement, and malignancy. The spleen reveals hematopoietic and immune responses and may show congestion, infiltration, or lymphoid changes tied to widespread infection or inflammation. The lungs frequently harbor secondary effects of systemic illness, such as edema, inflammatory infiltrates, vascular changes, or infectious spread. The GI tract provides a view of mucosal integrity, enteric infections, inflammatory conditions, and immune activity that accompany systemic disease. Together, these tissues give a broad snapshot of systemic impact.

Other tissue choices focus less on broad systemic involvement. Muscle, bone, skin, and testes are more specific and may miss disseminated disease unless a targeted concern exists. Hair, nails, and teeth aren’t tissue types used for histology of systemic pathology, and collecting adipose tissue alone offers limited information about widespread disease.