The language of surgical pathology–a precis for the head and neck surgeon

It is often the case that the head and neck surgeon is well versed in the routine jargon not just of his or her surgical subspecialty, but in the jargon of other specialists as well—radiologists, for example, and surgical pathologists. It is, however, entirely possible for a busy surgeon to become inattentive to the complexities and shifting usages of surgical pathology terminology as they unfold over the course of a busy lifetime of practice; to this end, the following precis of pathology usage is proffered, in the hope that it will reinforce the notion of the collaborative nature of a pathology consultation and in so doing enhance the value of such consultations to the individual patients themselves.