Hi Keith,

Just a thought, was the tissue decalcified before embedding?  If so,
then going straight from a decalcifying agent to alcohol dehydration
can cause precipitation of the calcium that was dissolved in the
decalcifying agent. That calcium could end up anywhere.

Karen Pawlowski
Research Scientist
UT Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Keith Rogers wrote:
> 
> Dear Histonet,
> 
> I hope to catch you all before you head west to California.
> 
> Reviewing slides with an unusual pattern of calcium deposition,
> confirmed with Von Kossa, one of our pathologists asked if this could
> be a histology induced artefact. The calcium is deposited in all of
> the normal places, gut, kidney etc, and also in heart. Although
> calcium deposition in the heart is not uncommon, there seems to be no
> good explanation for it. i.e. there is no underlying condition which
> would explain the calcium deposits. What is more of a concern is the
> deposition of calcium inside the nuclei of some cells.
> 
> I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has experience with this
> or any thoughts on the subject.
> 
> Keith Rogers
> NCI Cancer Research Center
> Frederick
> MD
> Keith
> http://web.ncifcrf.gov/rtp/labs/lasp/phl/default.asp