Diagnostic Pitfalls in Surgical Pathologyuncovered by a Review of Malpractice Claims

Abstract

Breast fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy accounted for 6% of surgical pathology and FNA claims reviewed from 1995-97. The majority of these claims were for false negative breast FNA resulting from sampling error in a woman with a palpable breast mass. Controversies concerning the definition of specimen adequacy for breast FNA are discussed and a strategy for minimizing the management and liability consequences of the problem is proposed. Claims for false positive breast FNA usually result from interpretive error.