How much history is appropriate to provide the pathologist? I don't want to bias him!
There is a widespread misconception about how pathologists use the clinical history provided with a specimen.
Submitting a biopsy is, in reality, a consultation (just like a radiology exam or an infectious disease consultation), and the more history that is provided to the pathologist, the better he is able to synthesize that history with what is present on the slides. Think of it this way: How strange would it be for a doctor ask a gastroenterologist to see a patient with a bleeding ulcer, but tell him, "I don't want to tell you what has been going on because I want you to figure it out on your own"? We sometimes hear people say that they don't want to "bias" the pathologist to a particular diagnosis by giving "too much" history. The truth is that the more information submitted, the better the pathologist is able to interpret what is present on the slide in the context of the patient's clinical situation. Rest assured that your providing an appropriate clinical history will not prevent us from thinking about other possibilities that are not suggested by your clinical history and/or differential diagnosis!