Dr Helen Kalirai
Liverpool Ocular Oncology Molecular Pathology Service
Email: h.kalarai@liverpool.ac.uk
Location of Laboratory: The Ophthalmic Pathology Service is based at:
Royal Liverpool University Hospital
3rd Floor CSSB
Mount Vernon Street
Liverpool
L7 8YE
Services offered by the laboratory:Ophthalmic Pathology is a nationally commissioned highly specialised service and forms part of the “National Specialist Ophthalmic Pathology Service” (NSOPS).
It provides a diagnostic, molecular diagnostic and prognostic service to the nationally commissioned trust-based Ocular Oncology service and to St Pauls’ Eye Hospital, as well as to other clinicians and
pathologists throughout the UK, Europe, and elsewhere.
Multiplex Ligation dependant Probe Amplification (MLPA) and micro-satellite (MSA) analyses for prognostication in ocular oncology are also offered and these services are delivered by the Liverpool Ocular Oncology
Molecular Pathology Service. In 1999, the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre became the first centre to perform genetic typing of uveal melanoma as a prognostic service. This team provides a genetic testing service for
tumours occurring in the eye; two ocular tumour types are examined: conjunctival melanoma and uveal melanoma. Using neural networks, the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Molecular Pathology Service has developed an on-line
prognostic tool, which analyses all major risk factors and generates a personalised survival curve for individual patient management.
Please click on this link for service information: Link
Laboratory opening hours: Monday to Friday: 09:00-17:30.
Sample types and volumes:The service is happy to accept any appropriate ophthalmic specimens.
Requests for MLPA require fresh, snap frozen or FFPE uveal melanoma material with the corresponding H&E stained slide from the P0 block. This procedure requires at least 100ng DNA at a concentration of 20ng/µl.
MSA requires fresh, frozen or FFPE uveal melanoma material together with a matched whole blood sample (100µl). May-Grünwald Giemsa stained cytospin or other histological slide or copy of the corresponding pathology report.
This procedure requires at least 20ng DNA.
Please click on following link for specimen-type guidance: Link
Special precautions: Please click on following link for guidance: Link
Turnaround times (TATs):
>70% of cases reported in 10 days of receipt of sample.
100% 1st stage slow Mohs cases reported prior to second stage.
MLPA analysis: 20 working days.
MSA testing: 20 working days.
Instructions for completion of request forms: refer to the Liverpool Clinical Laboratories Minimum Dataset Policy (MDS) for Laboratory Investigations for guidance. Link.
Instructions for transportation of samples: Please click on following link for guidance: Link
Patient consent: where applicable, i.e. for MLPA/MSA prognostication testing, all patients must be consented.
Lab criteria for accepting/rejecting samples: criteria for sample acceptance or rejection is outlined in the MDS Policy; please see this Policy document for advice. Link
Factors known to significantly affect performance of examination or interpretation of results:
Please click on following link for guidance: Link
Availability of clinical advice when ordering examinations and on interpretation of examination results: technical advice can be obtained by contacting Naomi Kamanga on 0151 706 4509 or
via email at Naomi.Kamanga@liverpoolft.nhs.uk However for technical advice for MLPA and MSA analyses please contact Professor Sarah Coupland via email: s.e.coupland@liverpool.ac.uk or
Dr Helen Kalirai via email: h.kalarai@liverpool.ac.uk
Clinical advice be obtained by contacting Professor Coupland.
Protection of personal information: the laboratory complies with the mandates set out in the Data Protection Act and Caldicott regulations. Trust and local policies are also in place to assure the protection of personal information.
Complaints procedure: if you wish to raise any concerns regarding the Ophthalmic Pathology service, please contact Naomi Kamanga on 0151 706 4509 or by e-mail at naomi.kamnaga@liverpoolft.nhs.uk
or alternatively concerns can be raised by contacting the Cellular Pathology Services Manager, James Wingfield via email james.wingfield@liverpoolft.nhs.uk, the Cellular Pathology Clinical Director
Dr Vijay Sharma via email at vijay.sharma@LiverpoolFT.nhs.uk or the Quality Practitioner Jane Harrison-Williams 0151 706 2000 ext 11093 or email jane.harrison-williams@LiverpoolFT.nhs.uk
Compliments: Our staff work hard to deliver a first-class service to our users and the receiving compliments about our work is positive and rewarding. If you feel we have delivered an outstanding service, please send your compliments to the contacts listed above.