Not so unusual artefact!

Aidan,

This appears as a common artefact worldwide, we too have recently had this
problem in several slides in the middle of a batch of H&E staining.
It comes and goes, sometimes many slides and sometimes only a few.  We have
not been able to relate it to any particular happening or condition or
circumstance.  We find it particularly noticable in cervical material
although the last case was a colonic polyp.
Good luck in finding an answer.

Sorry not to be of help.
Bill Sinai
Laboratory Manager
Tissue Pathology
ICPMR
P.O. Box 533
Wentworthville NSW 2145
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Subject: unusual artefact


hi all,

I have recently struck a strange staining artefact where the tissue has
patches where the haematoxylin doesn't seem to have been taken up.  The size
seems to vary from a dozen or so cells across to 10 or more times that size.
The eosin staining appears to be normal in these areas.  Nothing should have
changed in our staining protocol, but I was wondering if anyone has any
suggestions.

My thought so far are:  hot plates too hot, contaminated xylene, 95 and 100%
alcohols transposed, dud batch of haematoxylin (long shot).

Can anyone help?

Cheers,
Aidan


__

aidan schurr  b.m.l.sc
section head, histology
hutt valley district health board
lower hutt
new zealand

aidan.schurr@hvh.co.nz
++64 4 570 9173