Abstract
The authors presented two cases where pathological diagnosis was distorted due to inadequate preparation and handling of specimens obtained in biopsies.
In the first case, a specimen from a sebaceous cyst in the external ear was misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma because of an improper description of the lesion.
In the second case a pathological diagnosis of undifferentiated carcinoma was unduly delayed because of inadequate fixation of the specimen. The adequate preparation of the specimen is essential for the pathologist to reach a correct diagnosis.
The authors stressed that otolaryngologists should work with pathologists in making diagnosis of complicated cases.
