[Histonet] Fatty breast processing

[Orr, Rebecca]

HI Annette,
You have gotten quite a few responses to your question.
I have just one more.  When we get huge pieces of fatty breast that is
unfixed, we place the block in the embedder, melt it and let it "soak"
in the paraffin for 2 hours.  I have left them in this paraffin bath as
long as 4 hours but am unsure of any damage that could be done,( I
haven't seen any) But 2 seems to be as long as we need.  I would think
that this process would cause damage, but since the tissue is unworkable
in the first place, this can only help.
  This soaking in paraffin seems to do the trick, whether it's helping
infiltration or simply dehydrating, I imagine it's doing a little bit of
both.
After this process, the blocks are much easier to cut.  I don't see any
problem with my IHC stains especially for ER/PR, Her2.  These all seem
to stain consistently.
Ultimately, you would want to run your samples as others have
recommended before it gets to the embedding stage.

Hope this helps,
Becky


Becky Orr, CLA,HT(ASCP)
Assistant Manager, Anatomic Pathology
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
847-570-2771
 
tm <@t> libero.it>

Message: 5
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 09:26:26 -0400
From: "Featherstone, Annette" <AFeatherstone <@t> KaleidaHealth.Org>
Subject: [Histonet] breast processing
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
	
<9B4A77DF11463E4FB723D484214AE9BCA55154 <@t> KALEXMB02.KaleidaHealth.org>
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Does anyone have any suggestions for better tissue processing for fatty
tissue such as breast? We are experiencing insufficent dehydration,
clearing and infiltration. 

Annette Featherstone HT/MLT