[Histonet] decalcifying bone marrows after processing

Fri Jan 14 16:08:29 CST 2011

So just read the below response.  I have used formical in the past which is a fixative and decal at the same time.  It works well and the morphology really isn't compromised with this solution.  It is made by Decal (that is the company name).  Unfortunately even with small bones (I have only used it with mouse sternum and mouse femur) it still is an overnight process.  You could try and do it the same day, but I think you will end up screaming and pulling out your hair trying to cut the blocks.  In the hospital setting we could get bone marrows out early the next morning.  We would fix them in AZF for at least 3 or 4 hours and then decal the biopsy for another hour or two.  The clot would sometimes come out before the actual biopsy, but this seemed to give the pathologists at least something to work with if the doctor called them for results.  Decal after processing...not a great idea.  There is a softener solution you can get from Mastertech called "Easy Cut".  This works pretty well when you have a sample that is hard to cut.  There is my 2 cents =)
Happy Friday Histology Land!
Hope everyone has a great long weekend!!!

Sarah Goebel, BA, HT(ASCP)
Histotechnologist
Mirna Therapeutics
2150 Woodward Street
Suite 100
Austin, Texas  78744
(512)901-0900 ext. 6912

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Liz Chlipala
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 3:55 PM
To: Rene J Buesa; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; KerryPowers
Subject: RE: [Histonet] decalcifying bone marrows after processing

Kerry

Do you have an old dip and dunk tissue processor sitting around?  If so you can set up a program to decal and then process.  It's funny when I first read your question I was like why can't they do it in a day.  We used to all the time, but that was years ago (late 80's) and we fixed in B-5 which took only two hours.  For bone marrow samples even if you are using a zinc formalin or something similar you are going to need to fix for at least 4 to 6 hours prior to decalcification.  We used 20% formic acid for about 2 hours and that worked well, we then processed on an old dip and dunk processor with the rest of our small biopsy samples I think it was around 20 to 30 minutes per station and they came out beautiful.  You could also try one of those fixative/decal combinations.  I don't use them personally but I have worked with samples that have used those reagents and to my surprise they actually came out with decent morphology.  Bottom line, I think there are some options out there for you rather than not decaling prior to processing.

Liz  

Elizabeth A. Chlipala, BS, HTL(ASCP)QIHC
Manager
Premier Laboratory, LLC
PO Box 18592
Boulder, Colorado 80308
office (303) 682-3949 
fax (303) 682-9060
www.premierlab.com

Ship to Address:
1567 Skyway Drive, Unit E
Longmont, Colorado 80504

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 2:42 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; KerryPowers
Subject: Re: [Histonet] decalcifying bone marrows after processing

If you what to do a histology work of quality, you cannot decalcify after processing, besides, what is the point?
It is preferable to use formic acid (even if it is worse than using EDTA) than having to struggle with a poor section produced and then trying to decalcify it.
This is typical of the ignorance of most pathologists about tissue processing things.
René J.

--- On Fri, 1/14/11, Powers, Kerry <PowersK <@t> ccmhonline.com> wrote:

From: Powers, Kerry <PowersK <@t> ccmhonline.com>
Subject: [Histonet] decalcifying bone marrows after processing
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Friday, January 14, 2011, 4:31 PM

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with, or is it even possible to, decalcify bone marrows after they are processed.  Our pathologist would like to be able to process bone marrows the same day we receive them, but most of the time there just isn't enough time to allow for proper fixation and then proper decalcification.  She asked if we could process them and then decalcify and I have yet to find an answer to this question.  Please help!!

Thank you,

Kerry Powers
Comanche Country Memorial Hospital
Department of Pathology
3401 W Gore, Lawton OK 73505
(580) 355-8699 ext. 3359
Fax: (580) 585-5462
_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet