Original Diagnosis

In all of our cases, our aim is to give you a definitive diagnosis, no matter how complex the case.

The Process

UCSF Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Service receives skin tissue specimens in vials of formalin. Information from accompanying paperwork is recorded in our system. Then, the tissue vial is given to our lab technicians, who section the tissue to fit into cassettes. These cassettes are then placed in a tissue processor.

Next, the tissue is embedded in paraffin. The paraffin block is cut and the tissue is placed on glass slides, after which it is stained with hematoxylin and eosin and coverslipped. The final step in our lab is to send these newly prepared slides to our dermatopathologists for analysis.

Based on the dermatopathologist's study of these slides under a microscope, our physicians provide an original diagnosis for the referring physician.
 

Results

All clinical findings are documented in a finalized report, then delivered to the referring physician via fax, mail, online through a secure login, and/or EMR connectivity.