[Histonet] Control tissue

[Moe, Barbi A]

Could anyone share their process of finding and validating control tissues for IHC?


We currently use tonsil tissue as control tissue for 23 different antibodies for IHC (CD2, CD3, CD4, etc.).

My current process is to have our grossing personnel submit some extra tissue from a surgical case.  I cut an H&E section on the tissue to verify it has fixed properly and is not needed for diagnosis.  Once cleared by the pathologist I cut the tissue into smaller sections to create individual control blocks.  I then cut a section of each block and test it for each antibody.  I can usually mount 6 sections on a slide - so in essence I am checking 6 control blocks at one time.


However, since the control block could be used for any of the 23 antibodies, I check each antibody to make sure the tissue is good for all - so 23 slides are being generated for every 6 blocks of control tissue made.


Is this overkill?  Do I  need to check each block that is created?  A pathologist here feels that once he checks the H&E section and says the tissue "should be good" that I shouldn't need to run each antibody and generate all those slides.


The CAP question ANP.21395 states that control tissue needs to be verified and recorded as acceptable "prior to or concurrent with the reporting of patient results."


Does anyone verify and record their control tissue as acceptable "concurrent with the reporting" - and not check it before using it?


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated as it is becoming more and more difficult to obtain/verify/maintain control blocks for as fast as we are using them due to increased workload!!


Thanks in advance.


Barb Moe

Gundersen Health System

La Crosse WI

bamoe at gundersenhealth.org if you'd like to respond individually