May 27th, 2009 (WAM): Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) concluded today the joint conference with Cleveland Clinic, Ohio - USA on Pathology and Laboratory Medicine which lasted for two days May 25 and 26 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dubai. The conference was chaired by Dr. Laila O. Abdel-Wareth, Chair of Laboratory Medicine at SKMC; and a distinguished faculty of experts from Cleveland joined local experts from SKMC, Tawam Hospital and Al Wasl Hospital presenting the latest views on aspects of Molecular Pathology, Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology and Dermatopathology. SKMC, managed by Cleveland Clinic, is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The conference was organized by Infomed Events and has received more than 250 delegates including Laboratory Medicine professionals and clinicians with an interest in Hematology, Microbiology or Dermatopathology among other specialties. The first day of the conference consisted of two parallel tracks: one with topics from Hematology and Molecular Pathology; the other with sessions on Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry. In these sessions experts presented to the audience their views on the current state of knowledge and participate in short discussions. The plenary lecture on Disorders of Coagulation was delivered by Dr. Kandice Kottke-Marchant from Cleveland Clinic, an authority in the field and author of a reference book on the topic. Among other stimulating topics in various aspects of Laboratory Medicine, the speakers discussed laboratory testing quality, advances in hemoglobinopathy research, Information utilization, advances in flow cytometry workup of lymphocytosis, molecular diagnosis of hematological neoplasm, Vitamin D testing and newborn screening program.

The second day encompassed a workshop on the pathological changes of many dermatological diseases. During the first lecture, Dr. Wilma Bergfeld from Cleveland Clinic discussed the up-to-date researches in the role of Lymphocyte type T in skin diseases and their treatment such as lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and allergic skin diseases. In the remaining lectures, the presenters discussed how to differentiate between inflammatory skin diseases which usually show overlapping microscopic changes and clinical appearance. In addition, there were lectures discussing the latest updates in the tumors of the soft tissue and vessels in the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Dr. Laila said 'We are proud of the outcomes of this successful 2-day medical conference which was part of our activities during SKMC Laboratory Professional Week from 24 - 28 May 2009'.