The authors studied de degree of diagnostic disagreement in 178 liver biopsies. They found that in 28% of cases, general pathologists reached a different diagnosis compared to pathologists specialized in liver. The authors concluded that general pathologists cannot reach a correct diagnosis in a significant number of liver biopsy cases. They recommend that a second opinion be obtained from a liver pathologist before any significant therapeutic decisions are made based on a liver biopsy.

The authors, from Johns Hopkins, found that the interpretation in 86 out of 6171 biopsy specimens referred to the department of pathology of their hospital was incorrect, resulting in a change in the diagnosis given to the patient. The authors concluded that all pathology specimens should have a second opinion before treatments with associated risks are begun.

The authors from the St. James University Hospital, in Leeds, UK, found that 18% of pathologic diagnoses made by general pathologists were incorrect when they were reviewed by a panel of pathologists specialized in thyroid. The authors concluded that all cases with an initial diagnosis of thyroid cancer should be evaluated by a pathologist expert in the thyroid gland.

The authors reviewed 814 pathology cases referred to the department of head and neck surgery of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. They found that 7% of cases had received a different diagnosis than that given by pathologists expert in head and neck pathology. The authors concluded that a second opinion given by an expert pathologist resulted in a change in treatment in a significant number of patients.