[Histonet] Nails for fungal stain

[Laurie Colbert]

Our lab receives toenails, and we routinely do an H&E stain and a PAS stain for fungus.  We receive the nails fresh, and when they are grossed they are placed directly into a purchased nail softening solution that is mainly potassium hydroxide before being placed on the tissue processor.  My question:  Would the potassium hydroxide have any bearing on the results of the fungal PAS since the nails are not fixed in formalin before going into the potassium hydroxide?

Laurie Colbert, HT (ASCP)