[Histonet] Re: Revealing lymph nodes

[rsrichmond <@t> aol.com]

Terry Marshall writes:

>>All this time on histonet, I never recall reading the imperative of using 
Davidson's only as a primary fixative.So, I was not holding my feet right. Now let's see, how can we organise separate fixative for breast and colon 
specimens? Nah, impossible - forget it.<<

What works with colons: if you receive the whole specimen in formalin on the day of surgery, there won't be enough penetration of the mesenteric fat by the formalin to matter. You can separate the mesenteries, slice them thin, and put them in Davidson's fixative, and fix the colon in formalin.
This will work nearly as well for axillary lymph nodes and neck dissections, though these specimens really ought to be received unfixed. The technique is useful for neck dissections, but we don't use Davidson's for axillary lymph nodes, and in brief trials of it I have not found it useful.
Remember that Davidson's fixative may not support immunostains.
You young folks: Watching us old-timers flounder in public like this, you're seeing just how hard it is to learn histologic technique out of a book!
Bob Richmond
Gastonia NC