What Is A Pathology Report?
A pathology report is a medical report about a sample of tissue, blood, or body organ that has been removed from your body. The specimen is examined by a pathologist, and a report is written for the medical provider who has ordered the report or performed the procedure. Pathology reports are used by your medical provider to determine a diagnosis or treatment plan for a specific health condition or disease.
Components of a pathology report In most cases, a pathology report includes the following information:
Patient information: Name, birth date, date of service
Accession number: Used to identify your specimen
Diagnosis: May be general or very specific
Gross description: Color, weight, and size of tissue
Microscopic description: How tissue sections look under a microscope
Getting a copy of a pathology report By law, you are entitled to a copy of your medical record. You can contact your medical provider to help obtain a copy of your pathology report. Procedures for getting medical records vary from state to state, and facility to facility. You may have to pay a fee for your report. Copies of any pathology reports are very important to keep, as your diagnosis and treatment are many times based on them.
Pathology The branch of medicine concerned with the nature and cause of disease as expressed by changes in cellular or tissue structure and function caused by the disease process.
