One-Stop Diagnosis in Interventional Pathology: A 7-Year Experience With On-Demand Care for Superficial Nodules

The growing demand for specialised healthcare often results in prolonged waiting times for diagnostic procedures, particularly in oncological pathology. Interventional pathology, wherein pathologists perform sample collection and diagnosis, offers a potential solution through same-day diagnostic services.

This study aims to describe the operational framework of a One-Stop interventional pathology consultation and analyse its outcomes, focusing on response times and diagnostic performance for patients with superficial nodules.

This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital from 2016 to 2023. The consultation involved ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (USFNA) and core needle biopsy (USCNB) performed by an interventional pathologist. Data on procedure adequacy, response times, and diagnostic outcomes were collected and analysed.

A total of 877 procedures (718 USFNA, 159 USCNB) were performed. The median time from specialist request to definitive diagnosis was 2 days (interquartile range 1-4), with 18% of patients receiving a diagnosis on the same day. Adequacy rates were 98.6% for USFNA and 100% for USCNB, with low non-diagnostic rates (USFNA: 3.2%; USCNB: 0.6%). Lymph nodes were the most commonly sampled organ, and head-and-neck areas were the predominant anatomical sites.

The One-Stop interventional pathology model significantly reduced diagnostic times and improved patient experience. This efficient, patient-centred approach demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and low non-diagnostic rates, supporting its viability for broader adoption. Further multicentre studies are needed to validate findings and optimise implementation.