An accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure that the correct and most effective treatment is given.
Why Get a Second Opinion?
Studies show the clinical and financial benefits of obtaining a pathology second opinion. Getting a second opinion can sometimes lead to a complete change in diagnosis (such as cancerous to benign or vice versa) in non-cancerous growths, inflammatory disorders, infections, cancer and other conditions.
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A second opinion can change the diagnosis, impacting treatment and prognosis.
Jonathan Epstein, M.D.
Director of Surgical Pathology
Features Offered by The Johns Hopkins Pathology Consultation Services
The following features have been incorporated into our consult service to better serve our consulting physicians and patients:
- Broad expertise in virtually all specialties
- Direct line to responsive central receptionist to handle inquiries
- Prompt response
- Automatic faxed notification that cases have been received
- Two-to-three-day turnaround on cases not requiring additional studies, with written reports typically within 24 hours
- Our pathologists are available for telephone consultations
- Reports automatically faxed and hard copies sent when case is signed out
- Automatic return of all slides and paraffin blocks, by Federal Express, unless permission granted by consulting physician
- Direct billing of patients, if desired
Special Instructions For Submitting Pathologists, Physicians and Patients
- For diagnostic interpretations, please send the pathology slides and your pathology report. To avoid unnecessary delays in performing receptor analyses or other immunohistochemical tests, we need a representative paraffin block (or unstained slides) as well as slides.
- IMPORTANT NOTE - Unstained Slides Requirement: note that all unstained slides must be submitted on a plus charged slide. The Immunopathology Laboratory recommends a white plus charged slide that is available from Cardinal Health (the catalogue number for the white plus slide is M6159-6).