List and Examples of Surgical Cases Requiring Gross Photographs

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Digital Gross Photography in an Anatomic Pathology Practice. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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List and Examples of Surgical Cases Requiring Gross Photographs

  1. Grossly evident pathology (e.g. surgical resections of tumors, colon resections for inflammatory bowel disease)
  2. Transplant surgeries (e.g. artificial heart valves and intact native valves, native and explanted lungs, livers, kidneys, and hearts)
  3. Pertinent negative specimens (e.g. a resection for a tumor if the tumor was not present on pathologic examination, an appendix with no pathologic change)
  4. Disrupted and fragmented specimens (e.g. ectopic pregnancy specimen)
  5. Gross-only specimens such as medical devices (all clinically relevant details must be included such as brand name, serial number)
  6. Possible medicolegal cases (e.g. amputations due to trauma, explanted permanent silicone implants, bullets)
  7. Unusual specimens (e.g. fetus-in-fetu, mesothelial cyst, triplet, and higher-order placenta)
(Recommended by Lester S. in Manual of Surgical Pathology. E-book: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2010.)
The following pages are showing examples of the gross photographs of the surgical cases listed above.