Students’ Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes with Virtual and Light Microscopy in Undergraduate Pathology: A Randomised Cross-Over Trial Virtual microscopy (VM) has emerged as a valuable adjunct to light microscopy (LM) in medical education, enabling remote access to high-quality histopathological images. While many studies report improved satisfaction and comparable better learning outcomes with VM, effectiveness in student performance was not properly studied. This study evaluated students’ satisfaction and effectiveness of VM compared to LM in undergraduate pathology teaching of a Malaysia private institution. A randomised cross-over trial was conducted among Year 1 and Year 2 medical students. Pre- and post tests consisting of 10 one-best-answer (OBA) questions, mapped to the histopathology slides used in pathology practical sessions, were used to analyse effectiveness of VM and LM. After crossover swapping the groups, students completed pre-validated 5-point Likert scale questionnaires to assess the satisfaction on both methods. A majority (≥65%) expressed satisfaction with both LM and VM; however, VM scored higher for ease of use, time efficiency, and image quality. Group (B) with VM followed by LM had higher mean pre-test scores (6.85 ± 1.80) than Group A with LM followed by VM (5.92 ± 2.29), suggesting possible baseline differences. Post-test scores improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). Although Group B’s post test mean was higher (9.13 ± 1.19) than Group A’s (8.61 ± 1.63), this may reflect initial group performance rather than VM superiority alone. Although the reliability statistics of tests could not be analysed, this study concluded that VM is a reliable adjunct tool to replace traditional LM in teaching learning. However, differences in baseline performance between groups highlight the need for cautious interpretation when comparing modalities. Integration of VM into e-learning platforms may enhance blended pathology education.

Introduction: Lymphoma is a diverse group of malignant proliferations that arise as discrete tissue masses. The 5th edition of the World Health Organization classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues was released on 22nd June 2022. The WHO-HAEM5 classification of Mature T and NK neoplasms is further subclassified into various categories which are detailed in this review. Methods: A search was conducted using bibliographic databases, various repositories, and the Clinical Research Centre website retrieving journal articles, conference proceedings, book Chapters, guidelines, and thesis. The search terms used were Malaysia AND lymphoma. Results: The search earmarked a total of 561 papers. There were nine case series retrieved from 1967 to 2022. The site, age distribution, prognostic markers, and the various subclassification of NK/T cell lymphomas were studied. The gastrointestinal tract was the commonest site for extranodal lymphomas. Prognostic markers associated were EBV, C-MYC protein and staining for CD2, CD3, CD20, CD56, and CD57 antigens. For anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), CD30 (Ki-1) and ALK antigens were noted as important. The use of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PETCT) has emerged as an important investigation. Various chemotherapeutic regimens, surgical interventions where necessary and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation when indicated are the mainstay of treatment. Conclusion Research on NK/T cell lymphoma, including ALCL, has been ongoing in recent years. This review adds on to the existing literature on lymphoma in Malaysia that can lead to further research, into the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma in Malaysia and around the world.
Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; Malaysia