Grossing
Grossing, often referred to as “cut-up”, involves a careful examination and description of the specimen that will include the appearance, the number of pieces and their dimensions. Larger specimens may require further dissection to produce representative pieces from appropriate areas. For example multiple samples may be taken from the excision margins of a tumour to ensure that the tumour has been completely removed. In the case of small specimens the entire specimen may be processed. The selected for processing will be placed in cassettes (small perforated baskets) and batches will be loaded onto a tissue processor for processing through to wax.
Figure 3-4 : this surgical specimen of stomach has been fixed in formalin. Slices about 4mm thick will now be taken from appropriate areas and placed in the labeled cassettes for processing.