The compound light microscope has been used by patholo gists for centuries, and remains the common tool for making a diagnosis. A half century ago, the electron microscope (EM) was introduced, and has aiso been proven to be a valuable, but expensive, tool. In the meantime, other tools and methods have worked their way into the pathologists’ armamentarium, with immunohistochemical, genetic, and molecular techniques being the most obvious examples. Josep Lloreta-Truil, Lola Ferrer, Teresa Ribalta, Marco Pavesi, and Sergio Serrano examined the literature to determine the frequency and appropriateness with which pathologists use the EM in their studies.