Issues About Tissues, Part 3: Sampling Outside the Laboratory

Abstract

This is the final part of the “Issues About Tissues” workshop,which was presented at the 30th National Society for Histotechnology Symposium held in Toronto, Canada, duringSeptember 2004. An accurate histological diagnosis isdependent upon an adequate but representative biopsysample from the area under investigation. There are manysurgical and imaging techniques that can be applied to acquirethese samples, but because they are performed outsidethe laboratory, their management is beyond the control ofthe histotechnologist. Nevertheless, because these proceduresare an integral part of the diagnostic process, they arerepresented in this work as a glossary of terms for ease ofreference. (The J Histotechnol 29:8 1, 2006)

Submitted March 17, 2005; accepted with revisions January 19, 2006

Keywords:

• biopsy
• diagnosis
• tissue sampling
• surgical
• imaging methods