Gross pathology

Gross pathology is the macroscopic assessment of pathology specimens. It is an essential part of pathologic assessments.

Gross only

Which specimens are "gross only" typically depends on institutional policy.

Gross spot diagnosis

Heart

Heart valve:

• Infective endocarditis.
• Bicuspid aortic valve.
• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis - non-distructive.
• Rheumatic heart disease - fish mouth valve, thick cordae tendinae.
• Calcific aortic stenosis.

Heart - other:

• Fibrinous pericarditis.
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - septal thickness > free wall thickness.
• Cardiac hypertrophy.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy.
• Right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Cardiovascular

• Aortic dissection.
• Aortic rupture.
• Cerebral aneurysm.

Lungs

• Pulmonary thromboembolism.
• Lung abscess.
• Lung tumour (primary).
• Metatstatic tumour lung - usu. multiple and peripheral.
• Malignant mesothelioma.
• Pleural plaques.
• Emphysema.
• Pneumothorax.
• Hemothorax.
• Hypoplasia secondary to diaphragmatic hernia.

Gastrointestinal

Esophagus:

• Squamous cell carcinoma.
• Adenocarcinoma.
• Barrett's esophagus.
• Esophageal varices.
• Esophageal perforation.

Stomach:

• Malignant gastric ulcer.
• Peptic ulcer.
• Gastric antral vascular ectasia.
• Leopard spots.
• GIST.

Duodenum:

• Peptic ulcer.
• Duodenal adenocarcinoma - classically assoc. with FAP.

Liver:

• Cirrhosis.
• Hydatid cyst.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma - in the context of cirrhosis.
• Metastases.
• Hemangioma.
• Focal nodular hyperplasia.
• Hepatic adenoma.
• Cholangiocarcinoma.
• Congestive hepatopathy (nutmeg liver).

Gallbladder:

• Cholelithiasis.
• Cholesterolosis of the gallbladder.
• Gallbladder polyp.

Pancreas:

• Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm - with age & sex provided.
• Pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
• Neuroendocrine tumour.
• Chronic pancreatitis.

Small bowel:

• Ischemic small bowel.
• Meckel's diverticulum.
• Intussusception.
• Neuroendocrine tumour - if on section.
• GIST.
• Incarcerated hernia.

Appendix:

• Acute appendicitis.
• Neuroendocrine tumour.
• Mucinous tumour.

Large bowel:

• Colorectal adenocarcinoma.
• Bowel infarction.
• Ulcerative colitis - no skip lesions, no wall thickening.
• Crohn's disease - creeping fat, cobble stone pattern, skip lesions, fistulas.
• Pseudomembranous colitis.

Gynecologic pathology

Ovary:

• Mucinous tumour.
• Mature teratoma.
• Serous cystadenoma.

Tube:

• Ectopic pregnancy.
• Tubal abscess.

Uterus:

• Adenomyosis.
• Leiomyoma - multiple.
• Endometrial carcinoma.
• Leiomyosarcoma - friable, solitary, fish flesh.

Neuropathology

Bleeds:

• Epidural hematoma
• Subdural hematoma.
• Subarachnoid hematoma - berry aneurysm.
• Intracerebral hematoma.

Tumours:

• Meningioma - intradural, extramedullary.
• Glioma.
• Schwannoma - cerebellopontine angle.
• Myxopapillary ependymoma - filum terminale.

Non-tumour:

• Diffuse axonal injury - classically corpus callosum.
• Fat embolism.

See also

• Basics.

External links

• Old (black & white) gross pathology (artandmedicine.com).