Audit of Turnaround Time for a Training Oral Histopathology Laboratory in Malaysia

Comparison of histopathological turnaround times for mandibulectomies, glossectomies, and incisional biopsies of the tongue

Diagnostic histopathology plays a key role in the management of oral cancer and timely reports are essential. The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare the time interval between receipt of the specimen and issue of the histopathology report (the 'turnaround time', TT) of two types of oral cancer resections (mandibulectomies and glossectomies) and incisional biopsies from the tongue (n = 100 of each). The information documented included the number of days from receipt of the specimen until the sample was ready for reporting, and the number of subsequent days until the report was authorised by the pathologist. The number of days mandibulectomies required decalcification, the number of blocks processed per sample, and pathological TNM stage were also recorded. Results showed that mandibulectomies had statistically significantly longer TT than glossectomies. Incisional biopsies had the shortest TT with 87% reported in seven days and 95% in ten. There were also statistically significantly longer TT for pT3/pT4 than for pT1/pT2 glossectomies, and between the number of blocks processed for the three main groups. Decalcification and the interval whilst the slides awaited the pathologists' attention were identified as 'bottlenecks'. Dentate mandibulectomies had the longest TT of all; extraction of teeth at operation and detachment of the lower border of the mandible at macroscopic sampling are thus potential means by which the decalcification delay might be reduced. Expectations of the multidisciplinary team managing the patient should be realistic when scheduling postoperative discussion.

Impact of Clinical Information on the Turnaround Time in Surgical Histopathology: A Retrospective Study

Introduction

Clinical information (CI) is a key requisite to diagnose and report a specimen in histopathology. A timely dispatched report can help a clinician to confirm a diagnosis and initiate a prompt treatment plan while an unnecessary delay in reporting time can compromise patient's healthcare. The aim of this study was to ascertain the impact of the adequacy of CI provided by clinicians on the turnaround time (TAT) and to investigate factors pertinent to specimens, their handling, and diagnosis.

Methods

This retrospective study reviewed a total of 803 surgical specimens reported in a duration of four months (from December 2015 till March 2016) by the Department of Histopathology, FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan. Frozen section and cytology specimens were excluded. CI was classified into three categories: short and focused, long and detailed, and deficient CI. Deficient CI was designated where the pathologist had to seek more information from the requesting clinicians. Total time taken by the histopathologist to complete a report was calculated after excluding weekends and holidays. Other factors like type of specimen, special staining, diagnosis of malignancy and source of referral were also studied. The data were entered and analyzed on SPSS 22.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Shapiro-Wilk test was used to measure the distribution.

Results

Most of the specimens (46.2%, n = 371) were reported within three days. Of these, most of the specimens (46.9%, n = 174) had a short and focused CI (p < 0.001). Majority of the specimens which were reported within four to five days (42.1%, n = 114) and after five days (62.1%, n = 100) were found to have a long and detailed CI in their requisition forms. Median TAT extended to six (4.00-7.00) days with the use of special stains (p < 0.001). One hundred and sixty-three (20.29%) of the total cases were diagnosed as malignant in which the median TAT significantly prolonged to five days (p < 0.001). Most of the specimens (80%, n = 60) received from the outside laboratories had a long and detailed CI in requisition forms. Endometrial tissue specimen was the predominant type received by the department (24.3%, n = 90).

Conclusion

Adequate CI is necessary for timely and error-free reporting of a specimen in surgical histopathology. A short, focused and concise CI is associated with a shorter TAT. Long and detailed CI is often seen with a complex surgical specimen that requires a longer time to report. Factors like specimen type, special staining, number of special stains and diagnosis of a malignancy also affect TAT.