Abstract
The quality of specimen fixation was examined within a routine diagnostic histopathology service. For each specimen the adequacy of fixation was assessed and the transit time between operating theatre and the laboratory was measured. Preliminary fixation was found to be inadequate in 25% of specimens and some form of manipulation to assist fixation was required in 36% of specimens. The mean transit time was 22 (SD 10.7) hours. Specimen fixation and transport are additional factors to consider in quality assurance of histopathology.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Cross S. S., Start R. D., Smith J. H. Does delay in fixation affect the number of mitotic figures in processed tissue? J Clin Pathol. 1990 Jul;43(7):597–599. doi: 10.1136/jcp.43.7.597. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Garner P., Masterton R. G. Specimen transport audit. J Clin Pathol. 1990 Sep;43(9):712–713. doi: 10.1136/jcp.43.9.712. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hall P. A., Levison D. A., Woods A. L., Yu C. C., Kellock D. B., Watkins J. A., Barnes D. M., Gillett C. E., Camplejohn R., Dover R. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunolocalization in paraffin sections: an index of cell proliferation with evidence of deregulated expression in some neoplasms. J Pathol. 1990 Dec;162(4):285–294. doi: 10.1002/path.1711620403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Leong A. S., Gilham P. N. The effects of progressive formaldehyde fixation on the preservation of tissue antigens. Pathology. 1989 Oct;21(4):266–268. doi: 10.3109/00313028909061071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rogers S., Bywater M. J., Reeves D. S. Audit of turn-around times in a microbiology laboratory. J Clin Pathol. 1991 Mar;44(3):257–258. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.3.257. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Start R. D., Flynn M. S., Cross S. S., Rogers K., Smith J. H. Is the grading of breast carcinomas affected by a delay in fixation? Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1991;419(6):475–477. doi: 10.1007/BF01650675. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]