[Histonet] Re: Cornflaking

[Beth Cox]

Sharon & other Histonetters,

Cornflaking is literally microscopic air trapped under the coverslip. It
doesn't have anything to do with poor dehydration and trapped water. Thus
it can be caused by partial drying out before the coverslipping.

The things you need to look at to eradicate the problem is:
1.  Keep the slides wet before coverslipping (obviously)
2.  Consider increasing the amount of xylene deposited on the slide for
tape coverslippers.
3.  For glass coverslippers, consider increasing the xylene and increasing
or changing the mounting media.

Cornflaking tends to happen more on slides/sections with rough "topography"
on the section (the more rough it is, the more nooks & crannies to trap the
air).  So anything that would give the section a more rough surface would
increase the tendency to cornflake; such as: section lifting. section
thickness, even chatter in the sections.  Think about things that would
affect the section - for example, are you using a different brand of blade
on the microtome?

Hope this helps,

Beth Cox, HTL/SCT(ASCP)QIHC




Message: 15
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:59:06 -0400
From: srishan <@t> mail.holyname.org
Subject: Re: [Histonet] RE: Cornflaking artifact
To: "HERRINGTON, SHEILA" <SHEILA.HERRINGTON <@t> interiorhealth.ca>
Cc: "histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu"
        <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>,    Sharon Scalise
        <SSCALISE <@t> beaumont.edu>,
histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu,
        'Laurie Colbert' <lcolbert <@t> pathmdlabs.com>
Message-ID:
        <
OF46844F54.2F7FC911-ON85257C9A.00575CB9-85257C9A.0057CEBC <@t> holyname.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
We had this problem several years ago.  We  were using the sakura tapes
with the coverslipper.
We did the following:
Last three alcohols were changes frequently.
Slides should be not dry when loading on coverslipper.
If you could load two racks at a time, only load one.  By this way the
slides in the second rack will not dry out.
Finally, change the tapes from sakura to Mercedes Medical tapes.
Mala
Nirmala Srishan
Holy Name Medical Center


From:   "HERRINGTON, SHEILA" <SHEILA.HERRINGTON <@t> interiorhealth.ca>
To:     'Laurie Colbert' <lcolbert <@t> pathmdlabs.com>, Sharon Scalise
<SSCALISE <@t> beaumont.edu>, "histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu"
<histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Date:   03/13/2014 11:43 AM
Subject:        [Histonet] RE: Cornflaking artifact
Sent by:        histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu

We also have recently started to see this artifact more than ever before,
and nothing in our process has changed.  We have tried everything to
correct to no avail.  Wonder if it is possible to be a change in some type
of supply, either xylene or coverslipping film.  Something has changed but
am at a loss as to what.

Sheila Herrington
Technical Lead Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry
Kelowna General Hospital
2268 Pandosy Street, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 1T2
250-862-4300 ext 7587 or 7510
Sheila.herrington <@t> interiorhealth.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [
mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu<histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>]
On Behalf Of Laurie
Colbert
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 6:30 AM
To: Sharon Scalise; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Cornflaking artifact
You will also see the cornflaking if your tissue is lifting off of the
slide at all.  We used to get this more often on hard, decal specimens
than on other specimens.  We used the film to coverslip.  If you remove
the film from the problem slides and recoverslip conventionally with extra
mountant and glass coverslips, I'm sure you will not see the artifact.
Laurie Colbert
-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [
mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu<histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>]
On Behalf Of Sharon
Scalise
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 8:00 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Cornflaking artifact
I am looking for help with "cornflaking" (tiny, brown dry spots under
coverslip)artifact.  We have been using fresh xylene on our stainer and
coverslipper, cleaned and wiped all containers dry before filling, tried
different lots of coverslipping film and had service on our coverslipper
to make sure it was functioning properly, including the xylene drip.  We
continue to have this artifact and it is driving us crazy.  It is sporadic
with no pattern of tissue type or placement on the slide.  Sometimes it
lands on tissue other times not.  Most of the time when we remove the
coverslip and re-coverslip it goes away (I am assuming because the acetone
removes any minute amounts of water that may be present).  We just cannot
figure out where the water is coming from.  Has anyone seen this artifact
while using the drying step on the prisma stainer?  We just recently
started using the drying on some slides and I am thinking maybe it is
causing humidity???  I cannot say for a fact that our "cornflaking"
started at the same time, but it is suspicious. HELP!!!!!