Pathological Findings
What is a pathological finding?
Pathological findings are descriptors of a tissue sample. In mammography, pathological findings are related to the details of a breast biopsy sample.
Who determines what the pathological findings are from a tissue sample?
Pathologists are medical professionals who examine bodily tissue and determine the pathological findings from a tissue sample.
What are the possible assessments made from a pathological finding?
In Mammologix's medical audit, pathological findings may be reported as malignant (cancerous), benign (non-cancerous), or unspecified (unknown, possibly needing further analysis).
What are some examples of things you may find in a pathological report?
According to the Johns Hopkins Pathology Department, things you may find in a pathology report are:
- Patient information
- Physician information
- Specimen case number
- Clinical history
- Body site and procedure
- Diagnosis (if cancerous, type of cancer is listed)
- Gross description (physical characteristics of the tissue sample, such as size of tissue and any masses found)
- Pathologist information
Below is an example of a completed pathological report from Johns Hopkins:
Johns Hopkins Pathology. (n.d.). Sample Breast Core Biopsy Report [image]. https://pathology.jhu.edu/build/assets/breast/_lgImg/Sample-Breast-Core-Biopsy-Report.jpg
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2024, April 11). The Pathologist. HopkinsMedicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/the-pathologist#:~:text=A%20pathologist%20is%20a%20medical,member%20of%20the%20treatment%20team
Johns Hopkins Pathology. (n.d.). Understanding My Report. Pathology. https://pathology.jhu.edu/breast/understand-report