Fungal contamination of Hanks solution

Laboratory contamination of clinical specimens submitted for cytological examination is an on-going threat that requires continuous vigilance and quality control. We recently were confronted with a suspected fungal infection in a bone aspirate that was found to derive from contaminated Hanks solution used in cytological preparation. Diff-Quik staining of air-dried cytocentrifuged preparations of Hanks fluid as well as any other suspect laboratory fluid is recommended as a routine quality control procedure.