Which item is NOT information typically found on a tissue cassette?

• A. Patient name
• B. Block number
• C. Year and surgical number
• D. Number of tissue pieces

Answer: (A)

Labeling a tissue cassette is all about keeping the sample traceable through processing while protecting patient privacy. A block number identifies the specific tissue block, the year and surgical number connect it to the surgical case, and noting the number of tissue pieces tells you how many fragments were placed for processing and sectioning. The patient name, while on the requisition and slides, is not typically printed on the cassette label to limit exposure of identifying information in the processing area. So the item not typically found on a tissue cassette is the patient name.