Introduction to the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory

All tissues removed during surgery, tissue biopsies, cytological specimens, frozen sections, and autopsies are prepared, processed, and analyzed within the anatomical pathology laboratory. It is also known simply as the pathology laboratory.

The anatomical pathology laboratory is directed and staffed by pathologists, specialized physicians trained to interpret microscopic tissue slides and make diagnoses. Arguably, the most important of these is the diagnosis of cancer. This includes the determination of the presence or absence of cancer in patient specimens and the determination of the severity and extent of cancer, known respectively as grade and stage.

Physical areas within the typical pathology laboratory include spaces for gross pathology, frozen sections, histology, cytology, and autopsies. Most anatomical pathology laboratories have an area containing microscopes and digital viewing equipment in which pathologists interpret tissue slides previously prepared in the histology laboratory.