International Journal of Surgical Pathology 9(1):61-63, 2001 Diagnostic Errors in Surgical Pathology Uncovered by a Review of Malpractice Claims

This is the fourth in a series of articles examining diagnostic problem areas in surgical pathology prac-tice uncovered in a review of pathology malpractice claims. The author is a practicing pathologist who is a consultant to The Doctors Company, a physician-owned professional liability insurer based in Napa, California. The company insures approximately 10 % of pathologists practicing throughout the United States, and therefore, its liability claims should be representative of problems occurring in many pathology practices; 218 surgical pathology and fine needle aspiration biopsy claims reported to The Doctors Company from 1995 to 1997 were re