The Decision to Take Photographs of Gross Specimens

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The Decision to Take Photographs of Gross Specimens

Ideally, all grossly evident pathology should be photographically documented. However, if a gross photograph would not add any value, it does not make sense to take a digital photograph. The photographs should be taken to show any lesions and associated pathological processes. The purpose of obtaining photographs is to answer all relevant clinical questions. It is not practical to take photos of small biopsies. There are several scenarios when surgical specimens require gross photographs (see the list of clinical cases on the following page).