Macroscopic examination of pathology specimens: a critical reappraisal

Meticulous macroscopic examination of specimens and tissue sampling are crucial for accurate histopathology reporting. However, macroscopy has generally received less attention than microscopy and may be delegated to relatively inexperienced practitioners with limited guidance and supervision. This introductory paper in the minisymposium, Macroscopy Under the Microscope, focuses on issues regarding macroscopic examination and tissue sampling that have been insufficiently addressed in the published literature. It highlights the importance of specimen examination and sampling, discusses some general principles, outlines challenges and suggests potential solutions. It is critical to get macroscopy right the first time as it may not be possible to rectify errors even with expert histological assessment or to retrospectively collect missing data after the specimen retention period. Dissectors must, therefore, receive adequate guidance and supervision until they are proficient in macroscopic specimen examination. We emphasise the importance of the clinical context, optimal specimen fixation, succinct and clinically relevant macroscopic descriptions, macrophotography and judicious tissue sampling. We note that current recommendations based on the number of blocks to be submitted per maximum tumour dimension are ambiguous as the amount of tissue submitted in a cassette is not standardised and it is unclear whether ‘block’ refers to a tissue block or a paraffin block. Conc...

Source: Journal of Clinical Pathology - February 19, 2024 Category: Pathology Authors: Varma, M., Collins, L. C., Chetty, R., Karamchandani, D. M., Talia, K., Dormer, J., Vyas, M., Conn, B., Guzman-Arocho, Y. D., Jones, A. V., Pring, M., McCluggage, W. G. Tags: Editor's choice Review Source Type: research