Standardization of Gross Examination in Histopathology: A Literature-based Comparative Review of Domestic and International Reporting Guidelines

A gross examination is the first step in histopathological diagnosis, but standardized protocols and reporting systems remain inconsistent across institutions.This study evaluated the need for a standardized gross examination reporting by comparing Korean and international guidelines for gastric, colorectal, lung, liver, and breast cancers.The key domains included reporting structure, essential items, standardization level, and data extractability.International systems showed higher standardization through structured formats, improving reproducibility and data utilization.Domestic practices shared core elements but showed variability.Essential items consistently included the specimen type, tumor location, size, margin status, lymph node information, and sectioning methods.Structured reporting improved the completeness and enabled efficient data extraction, whereas free-text formats provided flexibility but reduced consistency and secondary use of data.These findings highlight the need for standardized reporting systems in routine practice.A multi-layered model integrating standardized core elements with organ-specific modules is proposed to improve the diagnostic consistency, quality, and data usability.