Flat fixation technique for shave biopsy specimens: stick & shake

Curling of thin-shaved biopsy specimens is not uncommon in formalin-fixed tissue. The distorted tissue may cause improper orientation, with subsequent tangential sections by the histotechnician and misinterpretation by the pathologist. We describe a simple "stick & shake" fixation technique, performed by the surgeon at the time of shaving, which flattens the biopsy specimen, and thus reduces the possibility for curling. This technique is especially useful in the interpretation of difficult neoplasms, where visualization of the periphery (shoulders) is crucial for accurate diagnosis, e.g., dysplastic melanocytic nevi.