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Which types of body specimens are examined in a pathology laboratory?

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Tuberculosis — disease A doctor examining chest X-rays of patients infected with tuberculosis, which remains one of the world's deadliest diseases.

In a pathology laboratory, specialists examine a wide variety of body specimens to determine the causes of disease and analyze structural or functional abnormalities. These specimens include:1

Surgically removed body parts: Tissues or organs excised during surgical procedures.1
Biopsy samples: Cells or tissues removed from a patient—often via needle aspiration, scraping, or excision—to diagnose conditions such as tumours.12
Body fluids: This includes blood, urine, and other fluids or exudates.1
Exfoliated cells: Cells that are shed naturally from body surfaces or collected through techniques like the Pap smear or exfoliative cytology, which are examined to detect cancerous conditions.234
Feces: Analyzed as part of diagnostic investigations.1
Bone marrow: Samples obtained via needle biopsy to diagnose various blood disorders.5

Additionally, pathologists may perform an autopsy on a deceased person to reconstruct the final stages of their life and gain further insight into disease processes.1