Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Services

The Medical College of Georgia Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology offers a comprehensive histologic diagnostic service to clinicians throughout the state of Georgia and beyond. They also provide consultative services to hospitals and commercial pathology laboratories for the accurate diagnosis of both routine and unusual lesions of the oral and maxillofacial region.

Our two outstanding oral maxillofacial pathologists and full time faculty will work with you on an individualized basis. Drs. Abdelsayed and Ogbureke will see your patient in the clinic and/or accept tissue samples for histological evaluation. In addition, there is a full armamentarium of cutting-edge radiologic services available to assist in ensuring optimal diagnostic process for our patients.

We provide:

• Biopsy services
• Clinical management of patients with oral diseases
• Consultations with clinicians on clinical, radiologic and histologic diagnosis
• Continuing education for clinicians
• Gross examination and decalcification
• Routine and special stains, and immunohistochemistry cal stains to assist with the diagnosis of difficult cases.

We process specimens sent to us expeditiously, usually signing out reports within 24 hours, except for a small percentage of cases requiring decalcification or additional studies. Reports are routinely faxed to the referring clinician as soon as they are ready. We call our clinicians to discuss cases of cancer and cases with unusual pathological findings.

Our Oral pathology laboratory provides contributing clinicians, upon request, with free biopsy and mailing kits that include details for proper handling and submission of tissue specimens, and guidelines for the proper documentation of essential information. We may provide courier service for direct specimen retrieval and delivery to our laboratory here at MCG if requested. For additional information, or to order biopsy kits, please call Ms. Dora Hawes, Dr. Rafik Abdelsayed, or Dr. Kalu Ogbureke at 706 721-2721; or fax request to 706 721-3083.

Oral Pathology

706-721-2721 - Clinicians Only

Dr. Rafik Abdelsayed

Dr. Rafik Abdelsayed is board-certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and a diplomate in the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. He received his DDS and Master Degree program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology from Indiana University in 1990. He is an Associate Professor and Director of the Diagnostic Laboratory and Biopsy Services in the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Abdelsayed holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor in the department of Anatomical and Surgical Pathology, School of Medicine, the Medical College of Georgia. He is a fellow and a member in the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. He also serves on the editorial board of the Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology Journal, section of Oral Pathology. MORE INFO | rabdelsa@mcg.edu

Dr. Kalu Ogbureke

Dr. Ogbureke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Biology and Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. In addition, Dr. Ogbureke holds joint appointments at the School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology, and the School of Graduate Studies, as an Assistant Professor. A graduate of the University of Ibadan School of Dentistry, he earned a Master of Sciences (medical sciences) from the University of Glasgow, a Doctor of Medical Sciences from Harvard University, and Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Suffolk University Law School. Dr. Ogbureke completed residency training in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He is a board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Dr. Ogbureke is also a trained oral and maxillofacial surgeon. He is a Fellow in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, a Fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine. Dr. Ogbureke’s research focuses on the molecular aspects of oral cancer and oral precancers. MORE INFO | kogbureke@mcg.edu