Histopathology Techniques Quiz

Study Notes

Specimen reception involves having criteria for specimen reception, registration, and handling.
A separate room with good ventilation and sufficient lighting is required.
Specimens must be delivered to the lab immediately after collection and preserved in the correct fixative.
The room acts as an interface between non-laboratory staff, visitors, and laboratory personnel.
The room should be equipped with easily cleaned benches, appropriate lighting, good ventilation, safety equipment, disinfectants, and protective clothing.
Specimen spillage preparedness and safety protocols (e.g., body fluids, fixative leakage) are crucial.

Request Forms: Forms must include the patient's name, age, date of birth, sex, clinical history, date and time of collection, type of specimen, and the requesting physician's name.
Specimen Containers: The container must be labeled with patient information that matches the request form.
Specimen Registration: A unique lab number (code) is assigned to the specimen after acceptance in reception.

Specimens are identified numerically, using the year (two digits) and a sequential numbering system (starting with 1).
Multiple specimens from a single patient are assigned a single lab number if received on the same day.

Selection is the process of choosing a representative sample of a larger specimen for processing, focusing on accurate representation.
Macroscopic descriptions of specimens (size, shape, color, weight, texture, cut surface appearance) are crucial for diagnostic information.

The selection room should contain a non-absorbent cutting board, forceps, scalpels/knives/saws, ink/dye, cassettes, weighing scales, and a pencil/ruler.

Small Specimens: Can be processed directly without dissection. They are wrapped in paper to prevent them from falling through the cassette perforations. Eosin can be used as a marker to highlight them. Examples include endoscopic biopsies, core biopsies, and skin biopsies.
Intermediate/Larger Specimens: Must be detailed macroscopy, with descriptions of width, depth, lesions (e.g., nodule, ulcer, papule), color, and distance to margins. Serial sectioning, using Indian ink or a different dye, is used to define specimen orientation.
Intermediate and larger biopsies should share the same laboratory number.
Specimens are labeled numerically or using barcodes.