Often, pathology reports from dermatologists will contain multiple specimens, as the patient receives a full body skin exam and can have multiple biopsies at the samet time. However, not all of these specimens are reportable, and it is important to know which ones are.

Knowing which specimens are reportable is essential for the abstracting process. For skin histologies, reportability is determined by the histology and the primary site (i.e., the anatomical location). The Solid Tumor Manual is a helpful resource for determining reportability.

The general rule is that histologies with codes from 8000-8110 are not reportable. An exception to this rule is basal and squamous cell carcinomas arising on the genitals.