[Histonet] Xylene free processing

[Bob Richmond]

Cindy McGrady at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan asks:

>>Our laboratory is experimenting with xylene free processing on our Sakura
VIP, substituting isopropanol for our xylene substitute. Our pathologists
have complained about processing, especially the biopsies, with our regular
processing, they have the washed out look, nuclear staining is faint.
If you are using the xylene free processing, can you provide feedback, good
or bad, any suggestions for optimal processing, etc?<<

If the isopropanol isn't working, you need to go back to your xylene
substitute, or if it didn't work, to a different aliphatic xylene
substitute - they aren't all alike (and if you're going to recover them by
distillation, you'll need to stick with a single brand). - I suppose few
people are processing with limonene (smells like citrus fruit) any more.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN