[Histonet] Tissue tracking at embedding RE: Histonet Digest, Vol 94, Issue 24

[Steve McClain]

Tim
You may consider asking Dr. Phil LeBoit at UCSF Dermpath and see what he
says.

I wrote about floaters a few weeks ago and this subject is related in my
view.

McClain Labs uses a combination of 
1)	manual line drawings on the papers reqs to indicate # of pieces
and approximate size;
a.	we write on reqs # of pieces per block
2)	record # of pieces per block in computer;
a.	printed embedding log with # of pieces per block
3)	photographs of tissue before and after slicing. (see attached
images- not available to other Histonet readers)

The embedders have access to all three forms of data- redundancy is
being a good thing.
By convention, we limit # of pieces to 5 per block maximum. More than 5
becomes difficult to track.
All small biopsies are wrapped in lens paper with forceps and also
unwrapped with forceps- this serves to clean the forceps when wrapping
and also when unwrapping.

Counts of # of pieces may be less than reliable since not infrequently
tissues will fragment with slicing; pictures do lie, but less often .
The combination of the two generally allows the techs to get it correct.
Extra pieces occasionally turn up or pieces are found at embedding.
Those are placed in a block and cut to see if we can ID the case.

PS We re-use disposable tissue molds until they are too grungy and then
are tossed. 

Steve
Steve A. McClain, MD
McClain Labs, LLC 45 Manor Road, Smithtown, NY 11787 631 361 4000