What is the purpose of trimming in histopathology?

The purpose of trimming in histopathology is to prepare the tissue for sectioning. This involves carefully cutting away excess tissue surrounding the specimen to create a more accessible shape that is easier to handle and allows for thinner, more uniform sections to be cut from the block. Trimming enhances the precision of sectioning and ensures that the area of interest is prominently located in the sections that will be examined under the microscope.

While removing excess wax after embedding is an important step in preparing tissue samples, it does not encapsulate the full purpose of trimming. Trimming is fundamentally focused on shaping and preparing the tissue itself rather than dealing with extraneous material such as wax. This distinction is crucial in histopathology, where the quality of the tissue sections significantly impacts the diagnostic process.