Stereomicroscope in Enhancing the Skill of Grossing Pathological Specimen

Introduction: Grossing refers to the examination of surgically excised specimen with bare eyes and dissecting the same in order to prepare the tissues for processing and embedding. It is an initial and the most important step in surgical pathology for reaching at an accurate diagnosis. Error in the step of grossing and later in embedding the proper tissue surface, especially of a small surgically excised tissue, may lead to diagnostic dilemma and ultimately delayed reporting. Stereomicroscope is an important tool for low magnification identification of any sample. Stereomicroscopic examination of a surgically excised specimen not only provides vital clues regarding the specimen, but also aid in proper orientation of the tissue for further examination. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of stereomicroscope in grossing and proper orientation of small surgically excised tissue samples. Material and Methods: Biopsy samples of size approximately 5x5 mm in greatest diameter were examined under stereomicroscope before and after grossing and processing, images were captured and oriented for histopathological examination. Result: The stereomicroscopic images of the biopsy samples aid to understand the nature and cut surfaces better than naked eye examination and helped in accurate orientation of the tissue surface. Conclusion: Regular use of stereomicroscope in routine laboratory procedure not only aids in analyzing the surface topography of the biopsy specimens better, but also acts as an effective way of embedding the tissues for further histopathological examination.