RAPID MICROWAVE-STIMULATED FIXATION OF ENTIRE PROSTATECTOMY SPECIMENS

SUMMARY C o n v e n tio n a l fix a tio n o f la rg e solid s u r g ic a l sp e c im e n s is a slo w p ro c e ss. C o n s e q u e n tly , a u to ly tic d a m a g e to tis s u e s m a y o c c u r i f th e fix a tiv e d o es n o t re a c h th e c e n tra l p a r t o f th e sp e c im e n in tim e . H o w e v e r, a s th e re is a lso a tim e re la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n fo r m a lin fix a tio n an d a n tig e n m a s k in g , fix a tio n fo r to o lo n g c a n a lso be d e tr im e n ta l. I n se e k in g th e o p tim u m b a la n c e fo r fix a tio n , m ic r o w a v e ir r a d ia tio n m ig h t be o f a ssista n c e . T h is stu d y s e t o u t to e v a lu a te m e th o d s f o r fix in g e n tire p r o s ta te g la n d s w ith in a b r ie f p e rio d o f tim e , u sin g m ic ro w a v e -stim u la te d fo rm a lin fix a tio n . T h e re s u lts sh o w t h a t e n tire p r o s ta te s c a n b e o p tim a lly fix e d if f o r m a lin is p r e s e n t th r o u g h o u t the tissu e a s th e te m p e r a tu r e is in c re a se d b y m ic ro w a v e ir r a d ia tio n . T h is is a ch iev ed b y in je c tin g th e fix a tiv e in to th e p r o s ta te a t m u ltip le sites im m e d ia te ly fo llo w in g p ro s ta te c to m y . T h e te c h n iq u e d e s c rib e d e n su re s s ta n d a r d iz a tio n o f a c ritic a l s te p d u r in g tis s u e p ro c e ssin g , le a d in g to u n ifo rm m ic ro sc o p ic re su lts w ith b o th ro u tin e a n d im m u n o h is to c h e m ic a l s ta in s . I t is a sim p le , r a p id m e th o d , s u ita b le fo r ro u tin e d ia g n o s tic use. U s in g this m o d ified a p p r o a c h , D N A o f m u c h la r g e r sizes c a n b e e x t r a c t e d f r o m p a ra ffin -e m b e d d e d m a te r ia l, w hich could e x p a n d th e po ssib ilities fo r m o le c u la r a n a ly s is . © 1 9 9 7 J o h n W ile y & S o n s , L td .