title: Surgical suction damage: a common tissue artifact.
abstract: The vacuum effect of a surgical suction tip can induce significant artifactual alterations in the connective tissue of specimens removed for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The alterations described in this article consist of a surgical suction artifact characterized by the formation of numerous, pleomorphic vacuoles that, on casual microscopic examination, resemble the morphology of traumatized adipose tissue. This artifact occurs when a vacuum draws air into connective tissue and mobilizes connective tissue mucins (acid mucopolysaccharides) that localize within the vacuoles that are formed.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Wysocki
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gusenbauer
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Daley
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sapp
mesh_terms: D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D003795:Dental Sac / Q000473:pathology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013396:Suction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014617:Vacuoles