Color can be helpful in describing a specimen, especially if the normal color of the tissue or organ has been altered. Some tumors, tissues, or pathologic processes have very characteristic colors.
Below is a table of pathologic processes and their associated colors.
| Pathologic Process | Color |
| Renal cell carcinoma (clear cell type) | Golden yellow and red |
| Normal adrenal or adrenal cortical lesions | Orange-yellow |
| Xanthogranulomatous inflammation (xanthos = yellow in Greek) | Yellow |
| Cirrhosis (kirrhos = orange-yellow in Greek) | Yellow |
| Steroid-producing tumors | Often pale or bright yellow |
| Chloroma or any purulent exudate (chloros = green in Greek) | Green |
| Prior hemorrhage with oxidation of blood | Green (e.g., in synovial tissue in hemochromatosis) |
| Ochronosis (ochros = pale yellow in Greek) | Black or brown |
| Endometriotic (chocolate) cyst | Brown |
| Melanoma (if pigmented) (melas = black in Greek) | Black |
| Melanosis coli | Black mucosa |
| Anthracotic pigment (anthrax = coal in Greek) | Black |
| Blue dome cysts of the breast | Dark blue or black |
| Gout or chondrocalcinosis | Chalky white |
| Pheochromocytoma (phaios = dusky + chromo = color in Greek) | White to tan – chromaffin reaction changes color to mahogany brown to black or purple |
(Recommended by Lester S. in Manual of Surgical Pathology. Ebook: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2010.)
