Lorum ipsum
Margins
Present on all resections to document the presence or absence of tumour and/or viability of the resection margin 📕
En face (shave, parallel)
Advantages
- more surface area
- entire structures can be evaluated (e.g., bronchus, ureter)
Disadvantages
- cannot measure the exact distance
- can be difficult to interpret when cautery artifact is present
Perpendicular
Advantages
- exact distance can be measured
Disadvantages
- very little tissue is evaluated in larger resections
Rule of thumb: if the margin is < 2 cm away in a resection, submit perpendicular. If not, consider the value in allowing the pathologist to evaluate the entire margin in a single cassette