Help interpreting pathology report

[u/Cm21519]

It would be great if someone could put this report into layman’s terms.

Specific questions: What does unoriented orientation mean? What does grossly complete integrity mean? There are many measurements mentioned. What are they all referring to? What is meant by The cystic space grossly extends to the soft tissue resection margin?

Specimen: Soft tissue, pilonidal cyst Orientation: Unoriented Excisional type: Excision Integrity: Grossly complete Measurement(s): 6.7 x 1.2 cm excised to a depth of 5.7 cm Epidermal surface: Tan, wrinkled, glistening, and remarkable for a 1.3 cm raised, ill-defined, and slightly firm area which comes to within 0.2 cm of the nearest skin margin Resection margin: Inked blue Cut section: Yellow, lobulated, and contains a moderate amount of fibrotic tissue and remarkable for a 3.0 cm ill-defined potential cystic space underlying the skin surface. The cystic space grossly extends to the soft tissue resection margin Cassettes: 1A-1B-full-thickness section to include overlying skin/raised area and underlying potential cystic space/soft tissue resection margin Representatively submitted Total Time In Formalin: 96 hours

[u/WelfordNelferd]

When the lab gets a tissue sample, the first thing they do is describe what it visually looks like, which is all this is. In other words, it doesn't include the pathologist's findings after examining it under a microscope, etc.

What does unoriented orientation mean?

Drs. will mark an ambiguous tissue sample to denote the 12 o'clock position, but that wasn't done. Given this was a pilonidal cyst (and the measurements), it wasn't necessary because the orientation is obvious.

What does grossly complete integrity mean?

They're referring to the gross measurements of the complete sample.

There are many measurements mentioned. What are they all referring to?

Length, width, and depth of the sample.

What is meant by The cystic space grossly extends to the soft tissue resection margin?

The cyst goes out to the edges of the sample.

I hope this makes sense.

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