[Histonet] Re: Poor Nuclear Detail

[Robert Richmond]

Rae Ann Staskiewicz (whrere?) asks:

>>We had a case the other day which showed poor nuclear detail. This was fatty breast which had been fixed overnight before processing. Tissues were reprocessed in hopes of improving, but failed to do so. Does anyone have any ideas what may have caused this artifact? All other cases that day were fine.<<

It would help to see the sections - do you have any way to post
photomicrographs?

Let me generalize a bit here - I do some work at a lab that has had a
persistent nuclear-bubble artifact for many years. None of their
current histotechs ever looks at a slide, and the pathologist has no
input. How would you begin to analyze this problem and try to
determine its cause?

Fixation is in neutral buffered formalin. Fixation time seems to make
absolutely no difference, nor is there a difference between small
biopsy specimens and too-large tissue blocks. Tumor tissue seem worst
affected, but I suspect that all tissues are equally affected.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN