-----Original Message-----
From: Carla Shoffeitt 
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 1:20 PM
To: 'Jim Ball'
Subject: RE: Embedding


Jim,
  I have found that Lee Luna has an excellent diagram for this problem in
his book "Histologic Methods and Color Atlas of Special Stains and Tissue
Artifacts".  He also explains why certain tissues should be embedded certain
ways.  If you don't want to buy the book, give me a fax number and I'll copy
the pages and fax them to you!

Carla Shoffeitt
Histology Supervisor
Columbus Regional Medical Center, Columbus,GA.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Ball [mailto:histo007@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 3:51 PM
To: histonet@Pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Embedding


Is there any literature on the market that shows how different tissues 
should be orientated in a block for proper cutting. I have been a tech for 
25 years and have always taken great pride in having tissue orientated and 
embedded properly. The hospital I am currently working for the techs seem to

only be interested in packing the molds with the as much tissue as possible,

not to mention the chaotic arrangement of the tissue. I had only experienced

this phenomenon before with pathologist trying to over fill cassettes. I 
really believe some one should put out a chart showing a properly cast skin 
sample, a gall bladder, a colon specimen, etc. I'am sure you have all seen 
the charts they use at repair garage when they bring out one of you spark 
plugs and compare it with a plug on a chart and tell you your motor needs 
rebuilt.
     I can stand there all day and argue with them, but I would first like 
to have some visual as well as written evidence to back my arguments. I seem

to remember the AFIP manual having some drawings of how tissue should be 
arranged, but if anyone has any other sources they wold like to share I 
would be in your debt. I won,t go in to the practice of putting the blocks 
on ice trays and leaving them in the freezer for any where from 15 to 30 
minutes before retrieving for sectioning. Should any one wish to do a chart 
I can furnish a ton of pictures on how not to embedd tissue.
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