SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THORACIC PATHOLOGYY. 10 PATHOLOGY SURVIVAL GUIDES SERIES 1

DESCRIPTION

Thoracic pathologyincludes a variety of specimen types ranging from small biopsies tolarge resections. These biopsies may be from the lung, the mediastinum, orthe pleura. The approach to each of these specimen types and sites issomewhat unique; knowledge of these subtleties is part of the secretsauce that enables an accurate diagnosis in thoracic pathology. Eachsite and specimen type is associated withimportant principles, terminologies, and teaching points that may berelevant to the diagnosis depending on the scenario. For example, the work-upfor lung cancer in a small biopsy should focus on preserving tissue toensure that there is adequate material for molecular testing, whereastissue preservation is not typically a concern in a larger resectionspecimen. Another example is frozen section specimens. In these samples,the diagnostic question is often quite different from those that must beaddressed on permanent sections. In this book, we have approached thediagnosis from the point of view of the pathologist looking at a specificspecimen type. In keeping with this principle, the chapters are organizedby specimen type rather than by disease entity. This approach allows us toprovide the reader with practical insights and advice for the work-up anddiagnosis of various specimen types. As a consequence, some diagnosticentities appear more than once in the book. We minimize overlap and focuson relevant details that pertain to making and reporting specific diagnoses inthe context of a specimen type.This book is divided into 6 chapters that coverthe field of thoracic pathology. In Chapter 1, we discuss small biopsyspecimens, focusing on how to diagnose and report cases in which lesionaltissue may be minimal, and tissue preservation is an important consideration.In Chapter 2, we provide an approach to reporting thoracic frozen sections. InChapter 3, we focus on resection specimens and discuss important considerationswhen reporting lung cancer and other mass-forming lesions. In Chapter 4, we providea practical approach to non-neoplastic lung diseases that are typicallydiagnosed in transbronchial or surgical lung biopsies or are seen in thebackground of resection specimens. In Chapter 5, we discuss the approach topleural specimens, including mesothelioma and its mimics. Finally, in Chapter6, we provide tips on how to tackle the immense variety of lesions thatpathologists may encounter in mediastinal specimens.We keep things simple, describe tips that we usein our own practices to diagnose cases in real life, explain terminology insimple language, and avoid an emphasis on esoteric zebras. In the few areaswhere our approach differs, we have attempted to state those differences. Inkeeping with the spirit of the Survival Guide series, the focus of this bookis to help you survive!