[Histonet] Fatty tissue

[Rene J Buesa]

Dorothy:
"Reprocessing" fatty tissue (usually a hopeless proposition) is essentially caused by poor infiltration more than by poor fixation, and poor infiltration is usually caused by less than optimal time in the clearing agent or antemedium (usually xylene).
The thing is that fatty tissue contains less water than other tissues and will dehydrate excessively in the routine protocol, but requires more clearing time than in the "normal" protocols.
The solution is to shorten the dehydration period and increase the clearing times or, as I solved the problem, by eliminating xylene altogether when I started using a clearing mixture composed of isopropyl alcohol and mineral oil.
René J.

--- On Wed, 11/5/08, Webb, Dorothy L <Dorothy.L.Webb <@t> HealthPartners.Com> wrote:

From: Webb, Dorothy L <Dorothy.L.Webb <@t> HealthPartners.Com>
Subject: [Histonet] Fatty tissue
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 3:21 PM

I would like to know how other labs are processing "fatty" tissue,
especially breast for optimal processing?  We have been doing a few
"reprocessing" of these specimens and my pathologist feels this
should
not be happening!  Yes, the PA's are, at times, cutting the sections
larger than 3 mm thick, but, at times the tumor is ingrained in the
fatty area and they need to obtain as much of the perimeter as they can.
Does anyone agitate or heat fixate their specimens prior to processing?
Would appreciate any feedback on this age old dilemma.
Also, I only heard back from one person on the recycling issue.  Any
input would be appreciated as to savings incurred and a still vs.
recycler.
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