Avoiding the major complication of ophthalmic pathology: misdiagnosis. A review of three common diagnostic challenges.

Diagnostic errors in ophthalmic pathology are not uncommon. Pathology is a very subjective specialty with several biases dependent on such factors as training, experience, practice patterns, personal anecdotes, and inevitable human error. In addition to these factors, there are many cases where difficulty in diagnosis lies in differentiating between two very closely related, or similar appearing, entities that may have vastly different prognostic consequences. In this paper, we review three challenging areas wherein diagnostic dilemmas may occur. We outline some of the lessons we have learned in arriving at a correct diagnosis, which includes an admission of one's own limitations requiring consultation with other pathology subspecialists, and the use of immunohistochemistry.