Diane,

You have described the classic signs of the biopsy drying before being
placed in the fixative.  The endoscopists we deal with usually have no
problems, however, one had a new nurse assisting and as he gave her the
biopsy she placed them on a piece of dry paper. The first biospy taken
always showed the artefact the rest OK.  A similar problem happens in
curettings where the clinician scapes, each time the curette is used, onto a
piece of gauze, the outside epithelium always looks hazy.
We solved the problem by asking that they place the biopsied material into a
small volume of saline or onto saline damped paper or gauze and we have had
no problems since.  Talk to whoever assists in the procedure and explain
what is happening and they are usually willing to cooperate.

Seasons greetings


Bill Sinai 
Chief Hospital Scientist
Tissue Pathology ICPMR 
Westmead Hospital 
Westmead NSW 2145 
Phone 02 9845 7774 
Fax 02 9687 2330


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Santana,
Diane
Sent: Thursday, 22 December 2005 2:27 AM
To: 'Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] FW: artifact



>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	Santana, Diane  
> Sent:	Tuesday, December 20, 2005 10:20 AM
> To:	'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
> Subject:	artifact
> 
> I am having a problem with artifact on some of my GI bx's. Actually a 
> paper published by Anatech "The Innovator", summer2004 shows this same 
> artifact on the front page. They believe it is a fixation problem, and 
> or retrieval by the endo Drs. My pathologist rules both these ideas 
> out. I tend to agree with him, at lease on the fixation. Our bx's go 
> into the processor around 5 pm and the bx run starts around 2 am.
> It is a loss of nuclear detail. This artifact can be on a small 
> section of a bx. Even if there is 5 bx's in one cassette maybe 1 will 
> have this artifact where the others look great. I thought at first it 
> was a clearing problem or nuclear bubbling I changed times in clear 
> rite and oven. It did not eliminate the problem. My pathologist has 
> seen this by other labs also, but very seldom. For us it could be 1 or 
> 2 slides a day. Sometimes not at all. Weekend or weekdays. No 
> consistently. The best way I can describe it is that it looks like a
smudge.
> Our bx run is this;
> 
> 10% NBF 30 min ea x2
> 80% Alcohol 10mins
> 95% alcohol 10 mins ea x2
> 100% alcohol 17 mins ea x3
> Clear rite 22 mins ea x2
> Paraffin 15 mins ea x3
> 
>  I would appreciate any feedback on this.
> Diane Santana
> Pentucket Medical Assoc.
> Haverhill, Mass.

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