Notes on the application of microwaves in histopathology

In this article two applications of microwaves in histopathology, microwave-stimulated staining of tissue sections and microwave-stimulated fixation of cryostat sections, are reviewed. For a good understanding of the influence of microwaves on physico-chemical processes like staining and fixation the relevant physics are included. Major advantages of microwave techniques are speed and/or improved quality. The cryostat-microwave technique appears to be well-suited for the demonstration of intermediate filament proteins: the sensitivity of monoclonal antibodies directed against keratins and vimentin can be substantially increased using the ethanol based fixative Kryofix.