Confusing tissue samples: causes, consequences, and prevention

The rising numbers of tissue samples for securing a diagnosis has led to a multitude of tissue samples in pathology institutes. Criteria and measures for ensuring the qualify of histological diagnosis have been developed. Cor responding rules for the organization of the tissue sampling up to their pr ocessing do not yet exist. Suspicion of interchanged samples occurs much mo re often than it actually happens; however, it is important to be aware of the possibility so as to inform the clinician and to eliminate any possible causes of the confusion. The civil and penal consequences of such an inter changing, the subsequent "incorrect" diagnosis and the therapeutic measures are secondary compared to the potentially dramatic consequences for the pa tient. Important causes for an interchanging and possible preventive measur es are presented.