Grossing-A Review on Stepwise Procedures

The initial dissection and preparation of any specimen for histological or microscopic analysis involves more than simply the transcribed macroscopic description and sampling of the specimen. Grossing is a gross examination of surgical specimens in which pathologists inspect the excised specimen with the bare eye to obtain diagnostic information. Grossing of surgical pathology specimens isthe first and an important step in tissue processing, leading to diagnosis. It forms a connecting link between the patient and the pathologist. A correct grossing procedure helps in minimizing the processing errors while at the same time providing useful information about the specimen helping in the achievement of correct diagnosis. The purpose of this short review is to provide adequate insight about the grossing procedure of the pathologic specimens of the head and neck region and to emphasize the importance of grossing in diagnostic oral pathology and provide guidelines to carry out the procedure in a sequential order.