[Histonet] Fixation before Decalcification?

[Gagnon, Eric]

What are you placing tissue blocks in before decalcification? We place blocks for decal in a jar of Bouin's Fixative from any time on Day 1, for specimens received in 10% NBF, until decalcification starts on Day 2. In other words, we gross specimens received in 10% NBF, then fix overnight in Bouin's, then begin decalcification the next morning. Two reasons for this - a decades-old reference, plus "we've always done it that way". We manually transfer the Bouin's-fixed blocks through graded alcohols to water, then use RDO as our decalcifying solution, then place in 10% NBF until blocks loaded on processor.



But, going with the current "everything is on the table" approach in our laboratory, we are looking closely at pre-decalcification fixation of Bone Marrow Biopsies in 10% NBF (previously Dacie's then AZF) and we are pulling back the focus to treating larger decal blocks i.e. femoral head sections and other bone specimens, in the same way.



Interested in your thoughts on pre-decalcification fixation....



Eric Gagnon MLT

Histology Laboratory

Kingston General Hospital

Kingston, Ontario, Canada