I agree completely with Patsy.
But may I offer an editorial perspective? Many abbreviations that 
people use daily seem to them to be self-evident to them, but often 
they are not evident to other people, especially in an international 
context. What, for instance is German or French for "formalin fixed 
paraffin embedded"? I doubt the abbreviation is "FFPE". Histonet is 
an international forum, and clarity of communication requires we 
remember that.
In my "real" job, supervising microscopy service facilities, I've 
been doing histology and microscopy for over 20 years, and I still 
encounter abbreviations that are common and obvious to some that I 
don't know. As an editor, I run into them even more often. Not 
everyone knows the shorthand of histotechnology, and many more people 
read this list than clinical or research histotechs -- it's too 
useful to be so restricted. Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum 
for reasons of clarity.
Phil

>i hope we do keep this lite and don't start bashing people for not recognizing
>our abrevs.
>patsy
>
>"Weems, Joyce" wrote:
>
>>  ffpe-formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded
>>  tia - thanks in advance - but transient ischemic attack sounds better, I
>>  think!
>>
>>  > -----Original Message-----
>>  > From: RSRICHMOND@aol.com [SMTP:RSRICHMOND@aol.com]
>>  > Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 5:40 PM
>>  > To:   histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
>>  > Subject:      Re: Reference lab
>>  >
>>  > Noreen Gilman asks:
>>  >
>>  > >>I need to get a copper stain on ffpe tissue. Does anyone know what
>>  > reference lab does this? This is a request from the clinician and we feel
>>  > obligated to fulfill his request.<<
>>  >
>>  > What's "ffpe tissue"? - Be careful of abbreviations on Histonet - they
>>  > frequently baffle people! Folks on Histonet are from all over the world,
>>  > and
>>  > do many different kinds of histology. (I did catch "TIA" - not "Transient
>>  > Ischemic Attack" I suppose!)
>>  >
>>  > If this is liver tissue from a patient being worked up for Wilson's
>>  > disease
>>  > or another disorder of copper metabolism, then you need to get a
>>  > quantitative
>>  > copper determination done on the paraffin block, not a stain. The only
>>  > reference lab I know of that offers this test is Mayo Medical
>>  > Laboratories.
>>  > They offer tests for tissue levels of several metals, mostly commonly
>>  > iron,
>>  > also aluminum.
>>  >
>>  > Bob Richmond
>>  > Samurai Pathologist
>>  > Knoxville TN

-- 
Philip Oshel
Supervisor, AMFSC and BBPIC microscopy facilities
Department of Animal Sciences
University of Wisconsin
1675 Observatory Drive
Madison,  WI  53706 - 1284
voice: (608) 263-4162
fax: (608) 262-5157 (dept. fax)