[Histonet] Lost specimens

[Bill Blank]

At 3:55 PM +0100 10/20/04, Marshall Terry Dr,
	Consultant Histopathologist wrote:
>"Regret material did not survive processing - possibly due to its 
>being mucin only."

I agree. Honesty is the best policy. On some specimens, eg, minute 
<0.05 cm specks, I will put into the gross the "This specimen may not 
survive processing".

I also call the Doc and inform them.

If a cassette opens, we filter all processor solutions and have 
almost always found the specimen. I also add that this was done.

I suspect that we all have had badly processed tissue, which just 
does not cut or stain well. The worst example I can think of is a 
breast biopsy which cut poorly and would not stain with H&E, PAS, 
trichrome or Giemsa. I could make some guesses - purulent material 
was present, as was some granulation tissue. But, I could not really 
r/o carcinoma. In this case I stated the problem, what we tried etc 
and called the Doc.

I have wondered if the alcohols were mixed up, but we never did find the cause.

The worst thing to do is to pretend nothing happened or criminally 
make up a diagnosis.

Bill