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A comparison of routine and rapid microwave tissue processing in a surgical pathology laboratory. Quality of
L R Rohr1, L J Layfield, D Wallin
1Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP), Salt Lake City, USA.
Abstract:
Rapid processing of histopathologic material is becoming increasingly desirable to fulfill the needs of clinicians treating acutely ill patients. Traditional techniques for rapid processing of paraffin-embedded tissues require 4 to 5 hours, delaying treatment for some critically ill patients and requiring additional shifts of technologists in the laboratory. Microwave processing further shortens this time, allowing even more rapid histopathologic diagnosis. Few data exist comparing quality of microwave-processed tissue with that processed by more traditional techniques. We randomly selected 158 paired specimens from 111 patients. One member of the pair was processed routinely overnight, while the other was processed by the rapid microwave technique. The slides then were compared for quality of histologic preparation in a blinded fashion by 2 pathologists. Eight routinely processed specimens were judged as suboptimal, while 6 microwave-processed specimens were judged as suboptimal and 1 was considered unsatisfactory for evaluation. In the remaining cases, the material obtained by the 2 techniques was considered of identical quality. Microwave processing considerably shortens the preparation time for permanent histologic sections without a demonstrable decrease in section quality or "readability."
Insights
Microwave processing significantly reduces histopathology preparation time for critical care patients. This rapid technique yields tissue section quality comparable to traditional overnight methods, ensuring timely diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Histopathology
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Pathology
Background:
- Rapid histopathologic diagnosis is crucial for acutely ill patients.
- Traditional tissue processing methods are time-consuming (4-5 hours).
- Existing data comparing microwave processing quality to traditional methods is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the quality of microwave-processed histopathologic tissue sections with those processed using traditional overnight techniques.
- To evaluate the impact of microwave processing on diagnostic accuracy and section readability.
Main Methods:
- A blinded, comparative study design was employed.
- 158 paired paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 111 patients were randomly selected.
- One specimen from each pair underwent routine overnight processing, while the other used rapid microwave processing.
Main Results:
- Pathologists found no significant difference in the quality of most routinely and microwave-processed slides.
- Eight routine slides were suboptimal, compared to six suboptimal and one unsatisfactory microwave slide.
- Microwave processing substantially reduced preparation time without compromising section quality.
Conclusions:
- Microwave processing offers a significantly faster method for preparing permanent histologic sections.
- The quality and readability of microwave-processed tissues are comparable to traditional methods.
- This technique can expedite histopathologic diagnosis for critically ill patients.