Abstract
We have adapted a cornmercially available tissue processing cessing material, HistoGel™, for the routine processing of stereotactic brain needle biopsies and transsphenoidal pituitary gland specimens. Both of these specimen types often result in very scant tissue fragments available for diagnosis, even if they are processed in a tissue tea bag or lens paper envelope. Pituitary specimens are often a cloudy suspension in saline that defy macroscopic identification. HistoGel™ is a firm, pink gel at room temperature and a viscous liquid when heated. Needle biopsy cores can be placed in a bubble of viscous HistoGel™ on a flat surface or in a disposable tissue mold, allowed to solidify, and then processed routinely in a plastic cassette. Liquid-based specimens are centrifuged, the pellet layer resuspended in HistoGel™ in a disposable tissue nlold until solid, and then routinely processed. The extra handling, time, and effort that this preparation requires are far outweighed by the remarkable increase in the amount of tissue available for diagnostic evaluation with these irreplaceable diagnostic samples. This application demonstrates the potential that this tissue processing medium has for many diagnostic and research specimens (The J Histotechnol 30:131, 2007).Submitted March 1, 2007; accepted with revisions March 29, 2007.
Published Version
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