Value-based analysis of routine pathologic septal and inferior turbinate specimens.

Authors

James J Daniero, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Jaemi S Chu, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Brian J O'Hara, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Edmund A. Pribitkin, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It is the authors' final version prior to publication in Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery

March, 2013, Volume 148, Issue, 3: pp: 509-12

The published version is available at DOI: 10.1177/0194599812472656. Copyright © Sage

Abstract

This article was presented at the 2012 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO; September 9-12, 2012; Washington, DC.

Objective To determine the frequency and clinical relevance of unanticipated histopathologic results in routine sinonasal surgery and evaluate the necessity for histologic processing of nasal septal cartilage, bone, and inferior turbinate specimens. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Subjects and Methods A retrospective review of surgical pathology reports on adult patients undergoing sinonasal surgery during a 5-year period from 2005 to 2010 was performed. All cases with the preoperative diagnosis of sinonasal neoplasia, autoimmune disease, or directed septal biopsies were excluded from review. Results A total of 1194 pathology reports were reviewed from 1172 individual patients. This included histopathologic evaluation of 1194 septal cartilage and bone specimens and 714 inferior turbinate specimens. None of the patients had unanticipated histopathologic findings that were clinically significant. Conclusion Many surgeons obtain histopathologic diagnoses on all tissue removed from a patient. Based on our institutional case series, histopathology of the septum and inferior turbinates in routine sinonasal cases may not be necessary. A value-based approach to processing grossly unremarkable septal and turbinate tissue by waiving histologic processing and subsequent microscopic evaluation could provide significant cost savings.

Recommended Citation

Daniero, James J; Chu, Jaemi S; O'Hara, Brian J; and Pribitkin, Edmund A., "Value-based analysis of routine pathologic septal and inferior turbinate specimens." (2013). Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers. Paper 22.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/otofp/22

PubMed ID

23314161