[Histonet] Needle biopsies

[Therersa Stegall]

Ditto.  I'd rather cut again, extra levels, than pare into a thready bx.
 On some, eg. liver, I will cut extra to begin with, anticipating
specials.  Peace, Terre

>>> "Joe Nocito" <JNocito <@t> Pathreflab.com> 12/30/2004 7:00:14 AM >>>
Jim,
I always refer to what my 8th grade shop teacher told us. It is always
easier to shave off a little more wood, than it is trying to glue it
back
on. I have taken this advice to the histo lab.
	Once, when I was a rookie many moons ago, I had to fish through
paraffin
shavings to locate a renal biopsy that I cut away. Since that time, I
always
cut on the conservative side and explain to the pathologists that it
always
easier to go back into the block than fish through paraffin shavings. I
do
get static sometimes, but after they cool down, they realize it was a
good
descion.

As always, the opinions of the author do not reflect the opinions of
his
employers and their lawyers.


Joe Nocito, BS, HT(ASCP) QIHC
Histology Manager
Pathology Reference Lab
San Antonio, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu]On Behalf Of Jim
Ball
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 3:56 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: [Histonet] Needle biopsies


I am a tech with 25+ years of experience and have been bitten by about
every
snake in the garden of eden (Histology), and I guess that is one of the
main
reasons I will error on the side of caution at every turn. I really try
to
be as conservative as possible with tissue when trimming into a needle
biopsy, as soon as I have a full face on properly enbedded
needles(usually
not more than 20 microns or less I start taking slides). The sections
are
3microns and may produce as many as 5 to 10 sections suitable for
mounting.
This acounts for max 30 more micrones into the block.  It is at this
point I
would like to preserve the remainder of the tissue until it is reviewed
by a
pathologist. I refer to my madness as scouting (a procedure if used by
General Custer would have saved alot of lives), but as we all know 
there
are some patologist that will declare we did not trim enough if what
they
are looking for is 100 micrones into the block.
   While I have been reseaching a procedure that will keep everyone
happy I
ran across an article that state there was a study done to determine
if
histologists were trimming away microcalcifications in needle biopsies,
and
according to the high lights of the article (one they wanted me to
purchase
to add insult to injury) it was determined that after x-raying the
histology
shavings from trimmed breast biopsies the culprit once again was the
histologist.  Go figure.
  At the present time I am on a public computer and some one needs to
use
it, but before I leave please foward any ideas you may have on this
subject
via this server or directly to my e-mail address listed with this
posting



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