Histopathology

When tissue is removed — a biopsy, a polyp, a surgical specimen — histopathology decides what it is. The sample is fixed, processed, embedded in wax, cut into sections only a few cells thick, stained, and then examined by a pathologist who describes the cell changes and names the diagnosis.

Reports from this department carry a full descriptive account as well as the conclusion, because they are the ones clinicians use to decide on treatment. Special stains are added when ordinary staining is not enough to settle a question.