Great reply, thanks B-5 substitutes

From:Gayle Callis <uvsgc@msu.oscs.montana.edu>

Thanks, I appreciated this reply. 

>Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 19:56:54 -0400 (EDT)
>From: RSRICHMOND@aol.com
>Subject: Re: Entering the mercury disposal fray and what you may encounter
>To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
>
>Gayle Callis notes:
>
><< True, B5 is excellent, but pathologists CAN learn to read tissues fixed 
>with a mercury fixative substitute, since some complain about cells not 
>looking good. >>
>
>It's not the pathologist that loses, it's the patient. If the tissue is 
>inadequately prepared, then the diagnosis of lymphoma is compromised, and
the 
>patient has to undergo another biopsy.
>
>Actually, the B-5 "substitute" we need is overnight fixation. The major 
>reason we use B-5 is that it's fast, and permits same-day processing of 
>tissue for lymphoma diagnosis. Fix overnight, and neutral buffered formalin 
>usually does the job quite adequately. Since the full diagnosis of a
lymphoma 
>takes several days and treatment is rarely urgent, I don't think that this 
>one day delay compromises either patient care or Managed Care.
>
>About thioacetamide: it's now considered to be a bad enough carcinogen
that I 
>don't think we're allowed to use it as a mercury precipitant any longer.
Will 
>someone respond to my previous comment about sodium sulfide?
>
>Bob Richmond
>Samurai Pathologist
>Knoxville TN
>
>
>
Gayle Callis
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-4705
406 994-4303



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