Hi Deb,

Thank you for asking this question as I am also very interested in this. I
like what you call it, "cornflaking", it describes it well. We refer to it
as the "dreaded brown artifact". I know from what you are describing that it
is the same artifact. 

We have been having this problem on and off since we first used the
coverslipper but we are seeing this artifact more and more. I have contacted
the company and they suggested some things to change in our staining
protocol but nothing made any difference at all. 

Our problem specimens seem to be decals, having the opaqueness in the
cartilage. After running out of ideas, our latest thought to research is the
idea that something in the decal solution is not agreeing with the chemical
in the tape. Do you put your bm cores in decalcifier - if so, which one?

We have to re-coverslip but it doesn't seem to help to recoverslip on the
instrument - we have to hand coverslip and considering the number of decals
we have, it is a problem.

Marg


-----Original Message-----
From: WWmn916@aol.com [mailto:WWmn916@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 5:02 PM
To: Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: cornflaking artifact


Greetings to all,
    Would anyone know what "cornflaking" artifact is caused by?  We have a 
Sakura coverslipping machine, and for the past 6 months have found ourselves

coverslipping and recoverslipping slides that occasionally develop dried out

spots on the tissue that look like "cornflakes" under the microscope.  Some 
of our bone marrows get a white opaque spot that generally is remedied by 
recoverslipping.  (Although there have been a few cases when recoverslipping

twice is necessary!)  This is a real drag for busy a.m. time schedules.  Any

thoughts are appreciated.  Thanks.      

Deb King
Central Histology Facility
Sacramento, CA