title: Rapid supplementary fixation in frozen sections: microwave versus conventional fixation. A double-blind comparative study.
abstract: The preservation of morphological details in frozen sections subjected to microwave-assisted fixation was compared with that in frozen sections subjected to snap fixation with either formalin/ethanol or ethanol alone. Especially nuclear details were better preserved after short microwave fixation. Ethanol alone gave the poorest results, with loss of nuclear details in the majority of the cases. In this study there was no significant difference between the morphological results obtained with a cheap domestic oven and that with a specialized microwave processor. Microwave-assisted fixation in frozen sections is a simple, rapid method. It is recommended for use in routine laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Aker Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erichsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roald
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D001706:Biopsy; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D008872:Microwaves; D013997:Time Factors; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde; D000431:Ethanol