Tami Lee:

One of the most important steps for quality fixation is in tissue size.
Make sure that when the patholgist is grossing the tissue he/she does so as
thinly as possible to allow for adequate fixation, dehydration, and
clearing.  I also found that using Pen-Fix or  a fixative like Pen-Fix
really helped with my fatty tissues such as breast tissue.  Again, the
thinner the better!

Good luck!

Jeanine H. Bartlett, HT(ASCP)
Centers for Disease Control
NCID, DVRD, IDPA
1600 Clifton Rd., NE  MS/G-32
Atlanta, GA  30333


-----Original Message-----
From: Tami Lee [mailto:Tami.Lee@css.unc.edu]
Sent: Monday, March 08, 1999 8:51 AM
To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: troublesome tissues


Hi everyone,
	I am trying to fix, process, and section breast and uterine tissue.

Although the uterus was fixed
in 10% NBF for several days, it still appeared to have areas that were
poorly 
fixed.  The processing
schedules that I have been using are 12 hours long, and do not seem to be 
effective, especially
on the breast tissue.  Does anyone have any advice they wouldn't mind
sharing? 
I have not been able
to find anything in our laboratory's textbooks.
Thanks in advance,
Tami Lee