[Histonet] Testicular biopsy for infertility

[Teri Johnson]

Dr. Rich Cartun asks: "What are people fixing testicular biopsies in to evaluate infertility?  In the past, I believe fixatives such as Zenker's and Bouin's were used for this purpose since they enhance nuclear detail.  Obviously, those fixatives can no longer be used.  Thank you."



I can understand keeping Zenker's out of the lab because of the mercury, but I'm at a loss why you cannot continue to use Bouins? You can buy the fixative fully prepared, or you can buy saturated aqueous picric acid from which you can prepare it in house. Doing it this way should keep the safety people calm since you are not storing "dry" chemical, which is the hazard. I suppose each state is different with regard to disposal, but I have always disposed Bouins as formaldehyde waste.



Having said that, I would look for potential alternatives that contain acetic acid (since both fixatives use it) and might also consider a Zinc Formalin as a substitute for the mercury. So I'm thinking AZF (Acetic Zinc Formalin) or modified Carnoy (minus chloroform) might give you the nuclear morphology that is needed although both would still require some adjustment by the pathologists in recognizing their particular artifacts and how they can use it to aid the interpretation.

Teri Johnson
Manager, Clinical Trial Testing
Genoptix, Inc., a Novartis company
BioPharma
1811 Aston Avenue
Carlsbad, CA  92008
USA

Phone +1 760 516 5954
tejohnson at genoptix.com<mailto:tejohnson at genoptix.com>
www.genoptix.com<http://www.genoptix.com/>


________________________________

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and contains information that is confidential and proprietary to Genoptix Medical Laboratory or its subsidiaries. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, immediately contact the sender by e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.