Journal of Medical & Surgical Pathology
Open Access

Various Methods Involved in Surgical Pathology Analysis

Avani Nimavat^{* *}Correspondence: Avani Nimavat, Department of Anatomy, University of New South Wales, South Wales, Australia, Email:

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Description

The branch of anatomical pathology is known as surgical pathology which deals with the biopsies and gross specimens that are submitted by surgeons and other medical professionals. For the majority of anatomical pathologists, surgical pathology is the most important and time-consuming field of expertise. Gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies provided by surgeons and non-surgeons including general practitioners, medical subspecialists, dermatologists, and interventional radiologists, are all included in the field of surgical pathology.

Gross and microscopic examination of surgical specimens, as well as biopsies provided by surgeons and non-surgeons including general practitioners, medical subspecialists, dermatologists, and interventional radiologists, are all included in the field of surgical pathology. Molecular diagnostics (DNA/RNA analysis) is one of the new techniques for examining tissue and cell samples.

Analyzing DNA and proteins in the blood and tissues is necessary for this. When tissue is surgically removed from a patient, surgical pathology provides for a conclusive diagnosis of disease. This is typically accomplished through a combination of physical (i.e., macroscopic) and histological (i.e., microscopic) inspection of the tissue. It may also involve assessments of the tissue's molecular characteristics through immunohistochemistry or other laboratory testing.

There are two major types of specimens submitted for surgical pathology analysis namely biopsy and surgical resections.

Biopsy

A biopsy is a small sample of tissue that is removed primarily for surgical pathology analysis, most frequently to provide a conclusive diagnosis. Core biopsies are one type of biopsy and are performed with the aid of large-bore needles, sometimes with the aid of radiological methods like ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Compared to fine-needle aspiration specimens, which are evaluated using cytopathology methods, core biopsies preserve tissue. Excisional biopsies are similar to therapeutic surgical resections in that they remove the complete lesion, whereas postoperative biopsies are obtained through diagnostic surgical procedures that remove a portion of a suspicious lesion.

Skin lesions and gastrointestinal polyps are frequently the target of excisional biopsies. The analysis of a biopsy by a pathologist is crucial for evaluating whether a tumor is benign or malignant. The pathologist can distinguish between various types and grades of cancer as well as evaluate the activity of particular molecular pathways in the tumor. This information is crucial for determining the patient's prognosis and the most effective course of treatment. Inflammatory, infectious, or idiopathic conditions of the skin and gastrointestinal system, and are just a few of the conditions that can be diagnosed with biopsies in addition to cancer.

Surgical resection

By surgically removing a whole diseased area or organ, surgical resection specimens are obtained (and occasionally multiple organs). These treatments are usually meant to be the final surgical intervention in the treatment of an illness for which the diagnosis is already established or highly probable.

However, pathological examination of these specimens is essential in order to confirm the initial diagnosis, the extent of malignant disease, determine whether the entire diseased area was removed (a process known as "determination of the surgical margin," frequently involving frozen section), identify the presence of unsuspected concurrent diseases, and provide information for postoperative treatment, such as adjuvant chemotherapy in the case of cancer. The bread loafing technique, also known as Complete Circumferential Peripheral and Deep Margin Assessment (CCPDMA), can be used to determine the surgical margin of a surgical resection. After a general surgeon or the Mohs surgery technique, a specific variety of CCPDMA is used.

Conclusion

When tissue is surgically removed from a patient, surgical pathology provides a conclusive diagnosis of disease. Skin lesions and gastrointestinal polyps are frequently the target of excisional biopsies. The analysis of a biopsy by a pathologist is crucial for evaluating whether a tumor is benign or malignant. However, pathological examination of these specimens is essential in order to confirm the initial diagnosis, the extent of malignant disease, determine whether or not the entire diseased area was removed (a process known as "determination of the surgical margin," frequently involving frozen section), identify the presence of unsuspected concurrent diseases, and provide information for postoperative treatment, such as adjuvant chemotherapy in the case of cancer. The bread loafing technique, also known as CCPDMA, can be used to determine the surgical margin of a surgical resection.