Re: [Histonet] [EXTERNAL] Brain and spinal cord

[Stedman, Nancy via Histonet]

Hi – I use Excell Plus (alcohol based) for small brains (dog size and smaller). 
 I book them after 24 hours and then let them sit another 24 hours or more 
depending on the size, and changing the Excell.  It’s definitely not good as 
formalin, but my cases are veterinary necropsies and usually already have some 
autolysis already when they are submitted.  IHC seems to work just fine.  Have 
not tried ISH or nucleic acid extraction but the company that makes Excell Plus 
says it is suitable for these applications.  I have tried other alcohol based 
fixatives for small brains and none have been as good as Excell Plus.

-Nancy Stedman


-Original Message-
From: Yahoo via Histonet [mailto:histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] 
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 4:43 PM
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Histonet] Brain and spinal cord

Hi All! 
I’m looking for some suggestions please on fixation for brain tissue and spinal 
cord submissions from necropsies. We are currently using 10% NBF and ask our 
pathologists to leave the samples overnight (but that doesn’t always happen!!). 
Does anyone use alcohol-based fixatives? And if so, how long? Does it affect 
IHC or any other staining? Do you still process with other routine biopsies (14 
hour program)?
Thanks!

___
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet__;!!O5V8a9i_ipf_jKx3!sMfBb9Xlczrc1L4sG9pQM5VLmHM7-E16GgDofTy-UzBz-G7msgznl-x3zjNPzwCWAWPVdfs$
 
___
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

[Histonet] "Budget" single slide scanners

[Stedman, Nancy via Histonet]

Hi Histonetters -

Does anyone have experience with the low cost single slide scanners like the 
uSCOPE machines?  Are they any good?   Am looking for a slide scanner but have 
a limited budget ...   Thank you!

-Nancy Stedman


___
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

[Histonet] Is anyone running IHC for pyrimidine dimers in fixed tissue

[Stedman, Nancy via Histonet]

Looking for some help with running IHC for pyrimidine dimers in fixed tissue?  
Is anyone doing this, have any recommendations - preferred antibodies, etc?  
Thank you -

-Nancy Stedman

___
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

Re: [Histonet] [EXTERNAL] Re: Tissue fixation

[Stedman, Nancy via Histonet]

I would bet there are quite a few pathologists on this mailing list (like me) 
who are here because we respect histo techs and know you have valuable 
information to offer!

I agree, cautery artifact is pretty easy to tell from poor fixation, so it 
should be easy to determine if that is the problem.  Sometimes, specimens that 
are submitted smashed in a cassette may have poor fixation of the tissue in 
contact with the cassette.  Or if they are submitted sponged and floating, some 
tissue may not be fully immersed in formalin.  Also, crush artifact may 
resemble poor fixation, so maybe the clinical team is not handling the tissue 
gently enough?  

I read veterinary specimens; we don't do LEEPs so I don't know if any of these 
scenarios are possible, but they are things I see frequently.  

-Nancy Stedman


-Original Message-
From: Mayer,Toysha N via Histonet [mailto:histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] 
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 2:15 PM
To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Histonet] Tissue fixation

I agree with Rene.  To discredit the pathologist theory  show if all of the 
specimens from the run are not fixed properly.  Then show if it is just the 
LEEPs.  Then show if it is that particular clients specimens?  Then onto that 
client's LEEPs.
That should prove your problem lies with the client handling and not the 
fixation on your end.  Cauterization can cause burning of the specimen, but not 
look unfixed. If it was left out of formalin, autolysis can set in.
The situation shows the god-complex some physicians have and the lack of 
respect they have for their techs.  
This is why we should all be certified and keep up with continuing education, 
so that these pathologists will respect us.
Ok, I'm going to get off my soapbox now, before I say something ugly.

Toysha Mayer






--

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:50:37 +
From: T H 
To: "histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu"

Subject: [Histonet] Tissue Fixation
Message-ID:



Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Good Morning,


I have a pathologist that is not happy with the fixation on some of our LEEP 
specimens.  She swears its histology doing something to the specimen to cause 
the tissue to look unfixed on only "part" of the LEEP specimens (all the same 
client specimens).  She claims we must be diluting our formalin to cause this 
issue or "something".  We mentioned maybe it was on the clients end not placing 
them in 10% formalin right away, she wouldn't hear of it.


Let me give you some back ground on how our process works.  Our clients send us 
all our specimens to us via Overnight FedEx or UPS in 10% formalin they will 
then they sit in 10% formalin in-house until the processors are started around 
3pm and sits an additional 5 hours in 10% formalin on the processor before the 
processor actually starts.  That being said the fixation process has had a 
pretty good start before we ever even touch it.


My question is, and I thought I had read this in the past is, when a specimen 
is left out prior to fixation and lying on a absorbent surface such as a paper 
towel, won't the area of the tissue touching the absorbent surface begin the 
disintegration processes faster in that exact area then the rest of the 
specimen?  Or if you have any other suggestion on what might be happening to 
only "certain" specimens would be great as well.


Thanks for your help!


Tim



--

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:32:35 + (UTC)
From: Rene J Buesa 
To: T H ,   "histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu"

Subject: Re: [Histonet] Tissue Fixation
Message-ID: <1730848134.8065268.1490967155...@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

What you describe as a possible scenario is absolutely possible.If your PT does 
not "want to hear" about it, suggest she gets a "hearing aid" or to study 
something about histotechnology or even better yet, pay attention to what a 
professional on the subject (you) has to say about it. You would never dare to 
question her diagnosis, why would she question yours on this subject?Ren? 

On Friday, March 31, 2017 9:11 AM, T H via Histonet 
 wrote:
 

 Good Morning,


I have a pathologist that is not happy with the fixation on some of our LEEP 
specimens.? She swears its histology doing something to the specimen to cause 
the tissue to look unfixed on only "part" of the LEEP specimens (all the same 
client specimens).? She claims we must be diluting our formalin to cause this 
issue or "something".? We mentioned maybe it was on the clients end not placing 
them in 10% formalin right away, she wouldn't hear of it.


Let me give you some