Biomaterial Database

Colour perception in pathologists: the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. 1991

H S Rigby, and B F Warren, and J Diamond, and C Carter, and J W Bradfield

Department of Pathology, University of Bristol.

The value of many histological stains depends on the ability of the observer to differentiate colour. This ability was assessed in 30 histopathologists and cytopathologists of varying experience using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. As a group, the pathologists performed better than a reference population. Twenty eight subjects showed a wide ranging ability to differentiate colour: none was colour blind. Three of the 30 pathologists, however, fell below the twentieth centile for normal subjects and only one was aware of this deficiency! They may unknowingly misinterpret subtle stains. Two of these three had specific and major defects which could affect their ability to interpret a wide range of less subtle stains. Those with the poorest colour discrimination were not those with the least experience of microscopy. Pathologists should be apprised of the importance of their ability to discriminate colour, and that formal colour vision testing of prospective histopathologists may be appropriate.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010338	Pathology, Clinical	A subspecialty of pathology applied to the solution of clinical problems, especially the use of laboratory methods in clinical diagnosis. (Dorland, 28th ed.)	Clinical Pathology
D011361	Professional Competence	The capability to perform the duties of one's profession generally, or to perform a particular professional task, with skill of an acceptable quality.	Competence, Professional,Generalization of Expertise,Technical Expertise,Expertise Generalization,Expertise, Technical
D003118	Color Perception	Mental processing of chromatic signals (COLOR VISION) from the eye by the VISUAL CORTEX where they are converted into symbolic representations. Color perception involves numerous neurons, and is influenced not only by the distribution of wavelengths from the viewed object, but also by its background color and brightness contrast at its boundary.	Color Perceptions,Perception, Color,Perceptions, Color
D003119	Color Perception Tests	Type of vision test used to determine COLOR VISION DEFECTS.	Color Perception Test,Perception Test, Color,Perception Tests, Color,Test, Color Perception,Tests, Color Perception
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000488	Allied Health Personnel	Health care workers specially trained and licensed to assist and support the work of health professionals. Often used synonymously with paramedical personnel, the term generally refers to all health care workers who perform tasks which must otherwise be performed by a physician or other health professional.	Child Life Specialist,Allied Health Professional,Healthcare Assistants,Healthcare Support Workers,Population Program Specialists,Allied Health Professionals,Assistant, Healthcare,Assistants, Healthcare,Child Life Specialists,Health Personnel, Allied,Health Professional, Allied,Health Professionals, Allied,Healthcare Assistant,Healthcare Support Worker,Personnel, Allied Health,Population Program Specialist,Professional, Allied Health,Professionals, Allied Health,Program Specialist, Population,Program Specialists, Population,Specialist, Child Life,Specialist, Population Program,Specialists, Child Life,Specialists, Population Program,Support Worker, Healthcare,Support Workers, Healthcare,Worker, Healthcare Support,Workers, Healthcare Support
D015588	Observer Variation	The failure by the observer to measure or identify a phenomenon accurately, which results in an error. Sources for this may be due to the observer's missing an abnormality, or to faulty technique resulting in incorrect test measurement, or to misinterpretation of the data. Two varieties are inter-observer variation (the amount observers vary from one another when reporting on the same material) and intra-observer variation (the amount one observer varies between observations when reporting more than once on the same material).	Bias, Observer,Interobserver Variation,Intraobserver Variation,Observer Bias,Inter-Observer Variability,Inter-Observer Variation,Interobserver Variability,Intra-Observer Variability,Intra-Observer Variation,Intraobserver Variability,Inter Observer Variability,Inter Observer Variation,Inter-Observer Variabilities,Inter-Observer Variations,Interobserver Variabilities,Interobserver Variations,Intra Observer Variability,Intra Observer Variation,Intra-Observer Variabilities,Intra-Observer Variations,Intraobserver Variabilities,Intraobserver Variations,Observer Variations,Variabilities, Inter-Observer,Variabilities, Interobserver,Variabilities, Intra-Observer,Variabilities, Intraobserver,Variability, Inter-Observer,Variability, Interobserver,Variability, Intra-Observer,Variability, Intraobserver,Variation, Inter-Observer,Variation, Interobserver,Variation, Intra-Observer,Variation, Intraobserver,Variation, Observer,Variations, Inter-Observer,Variations, Interobserver,Variations, Intra-Observer,Variations, Intraobserver,Variations, Observer