[Histonet] Tonsils - submission for pathology

[Stephen Peters M.D.]

HI Richard,
 
We submit all our tonsils. A few years back I brought a list of specimen types to our 
medical board that we felt could be grossed only or not sent to pathology. Our medical 
board wanted everything sent to path except normal placentas. They wanted all
 tonsils examined. Sounds like a bit of over kill but demonstrates how ideas can vary
 from institution to institution. Another comment on "insignificant specimens".  We do a lot of 
gastric bypass surgery. We found out that the surgeons were throwing the anastomotic 
rings in the can. We asked if they would send them to pathology. To our surprise we started finding quite a few helicobacters gastritis cases. Maybe one in five or so.  So make sure they are not tossing these. I have also turned up a  few cancers in the macromastia specimens and 
a handful of occult mets in hernia sacs. Sometimes those "insignificant specimens" are not so insignificant.
Stephen
 


Stephen Peters M.D. 
Vice Chairman of Pathology
Hackensack University Medical Center 
201 996 4836
 
Pathology Innovations, LLC 
410 Old Mill Lane, 
Wyckoff, NJ 07481 
201 847 7600 
www.pathologyinnovations.com