Rich,
I have always put the whole frozen block in OCT directly into fixative and
let it thaw that way, I change the fixative solution a few times to pour off
the melted OCT and then process as fresh tissue.
Patsy

Richard Cartun wrote:

> We received 3 biopsies of colon to R/O Hirschsprung's disease.
> Unfortunately, all of the tissue was frozen in O.C.T. so we have nothing
> for permanent sections.  What is the best way to thaw the frozen tissue
> before submitting it for H&E?  Should we trim away the excess O.C.T. and
> place it in formalin or should we "wash" it in tissue culture media
> (RPMI) before placing it in formalin?  Obviously, preservation of
> morphology is critical here.  Thanks!
>
> R. Cartun