Pathologic evaluation of fresh tissue from neurosurgical biopsies: technical and interpretational aspects

A number of rapid techniques are available for intraoperative consultations on neurosurgical biopsies. The press preparation, introduced in this report, is a less traumatizing variation of smash/smear/crush techniques for fresh tissue. It can be prepared in less than 5 min. The purpose of the present report is to describe the technique and its key applications. An additional goal of this study was to identify novel differential diagnostic possibilities that may arise in these preparations. It was found that press preparations clearly maintain the tissues' cytologic features, while key histologic components are preserved in larger fragments. To exemplify the findings using this approach, the features of astrocytomas are described. It is concluded that the press preparation is a rapid and informative means to facilitate pathologic evaluation of fresh tissue from neurosurgical biopsies.