• Bone marrow specimens: when possible, we have core biopsy touch preps, cores into M2 (mercuric) no less than 2-3 hours & carefully decalcified, aspirate for direct and delayed smears, centrifuged concentrate smears, and sections of M2-fixed clot. [more discussion]

• Gastrointestinal specimens: from 1971-about1980 fixed in 10% NBF; Hartmann's fixed about 1980-1990; 10% NBF transferred in lab to B5 from about 1990-2002;10% NBF transferred in lab to M2 from about 2002-2005; 3/2005 "GI Fix". Biopsies attempted to orient on edge and agar pre-embed & step-cut 6 levels. Automatic H. p. IHC on gastric biopsie; automatic CD3 IHC on duodenal biopsies; and automatic trichrome stain on medical colon biopsies.

• Lymph node biopsies and dissections:

  • diagnostic: section fresh when possible and do touch preps & stain one; save culture material if looks infectious; save piece for flow cytometry if looks malignant monomorphic lymphoid cells smallish; then some tissue in 10% NBF for classical morphology and some IHC markers; a piece in Hartmann's to unmask any hint of nodular architecture; and some in mercuric M@ for optimal cytohistology.

  • node dissection: we use Hartmann's to highlight nodes as white and have thorough dissections in all node cases, predominantly performed by one or two carefully selected and meticulously performing Pathologist Assistants (physician assistants)...and there is intense processing of breast, melanoma, and Merkle cell cases.

• Prostate core biopsies [check pictorial series]  

• Skin specimen:

  • oriented cancer excisions, even en block.

  • other: we mostly use agar pre-embedding.

(posted 2002; latest addition 22 March 2005)