CNS intraoperative consultation: a survival guide for non-neuropathologists

Intraoperative consultations for central nervous system disease may be challenging due to limitations of sample size, lack of familiarity with neurosurgical procedures, or poor access to neuroimaging studies. Despite these challenges, the surgical pathologist is charged with determining if the tissue sample is representative of the pathologic process while ensuring that enough diagnostic tissue has been retained for routine histology, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, molecular testing, and in some cases, tissue banking. Here, we present basic methods and a practical approach for CNS intraoperative consultation including critical pre-analytic considerations that promote optimal tissue management.