Misinterpretation of histopathological results as an important risk factor for unneeded surgery - case report of a "near miss" event in a pregnant woman

The oral cavity may exhibit a vast number of pathologic conditions, often dealt with by different medical disciplines. Combined with a substantial variation in clinical appearance, an accurate diagnosis may provide difficult to establish in selected cases. Histopathological investigations are theref...

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Published inPatient safety in surgery Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 14
Main Authors Løes, Sigbjørn, Tornes, Knut
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England BioMed Central Ltd 05.06.2008
BioMed Central
BMC
Subjects
Care and treatment
Case Report
Case studies
Complications and side effects
Diagnosis
Health aspects
Medical errors
Mouth diseases
Patients
Prevention
Risk factors
Norway
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Summary:The oral cavity may exhibit a vast number of pathologic conditions, often dealt with by different medical disciplines. Combined with a substantial variation in clinical appearance, an accurate diagnosis may provide difficult to establish in selected cases. Histopathological investigations are therefore mandatory for correct diagnosis and adequate treatment. We describe a common, truly benign condition in the oral cavity, which due to histopathological misinterpretation was planned for major surgery and subsequent chemotherapy. This was avoided by spontaneous regression of the lesion. The case illustrates that uncritical trust in laboratory diagnostic tests may lead to severe mistreatment.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:1754-9493
1754-9493
DOI:10.1186/1754-9493-2-14