[Quality control in surgical pathology--analysis of a questionnaire].

To investigate the state of quality control in surgical pathology in Japan, we conducted a questionnaire survey of 80 pathology departments in universities and 275 laboratories in hospitals that are officially accredited by the Japanese Society of Pathology(JSC). The pathologists set a high valuation on guidelines for quality control published by JSC, but hardly ever followed these guidelines because of poor understanding and lack of pathologists on staff. We propose the development of a quality control manual that one pathologist can perform, the establishment of a substantial consultation system and seminars, and education on the importance of quality control for pathologists.