The pathology practice environment varies per healthcare setting. There are some laboratories where histotechnologists, surgical pathology technicians, laboratory scientists, autopsy technicians, and pathologists' assistants are widely involved in the gross examination of surgical and biopsy specimens and autopsies.
The major purpose of the gross examination is to document macroscopic morphological findings through the process of surgical gross description. This includes what the gross lesion looked like (size, shape, color, consistency), where the lesion is located, and what relationship exists between adjacent anatomical structures. Each specimen is unique and variation in the description can exist between prosectors. That is why gross descriptions supported with photographs can eliminate the insufficiency of macroscopic examination.
Colored hard copies of digital photographs of the macroscopic specimen also can replace hand-drawn diagrams. The colored hard copies improve the accuracy of description and interpretation. Accuracy is critical for electronic medical record maintenance and its later use in medical and legal review and interpretation. Digital pathology images enhance the reproducibility of pathologist’s work and greatly improve the quality of the pathology report. Gross specimen images can correlate with the clinical disease or support a presumptive diagnosis.
Pathology laboratories generally employ basic digital photography platforms as ancillary instruments in the gross examination of surgical specimens. Most platforms provide routines of basic diagnostic and educational value. Continued technological gains have fueled advanced imaging methods with broad applications in digital pathology. Pathology is a visual discipline, so the incorporation of high-quality images into a pathology report is essential.
The essential photographic equipment should be available for demonstration to College of American Pathologists (CAP) inspectors. Laboratory members involved in CAP inspection preparation should also be able to respond to CAP’s requirements, such as written procedures for reporting gross examination findings and pertaining gross photographs, records of the autopsy quality management program, patients' identification, and digital image labeling and storage.
