Our experience with the enhanced polymer one-step staining in frozen sections

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Immunohistochemistry
• Oncology

Background:

• Intraoperative frozen section analysis is crucial for timely surgical decisions.
• Existing methods may require specialized equipment or longer processing times.
• There is a need for rapid, accessible diagnostic tools in surgical pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present modifications of the enhanced polymer one-step staining (EPOS) method for intraoperative frozen sections.
• To evaluate the utility of EPOS for routine diagnostic applications.
• To assess the performance of specific antibodies within the EPOS framework.

Main Methods:

• The enhanced polymer one-step staining (EPOS) method was adapted for intraoperative frozen sections.
• No specialized equipment was required for the EPOS procedure.
• Immunostaining was completed in under 15 minutes using available antibodies.

Main Results:

• EPOS demonstrated high utility for antibodies against human cytokeratin and leukocyte common antigen (LCA).
• Cytokeratin staining aided in detecting tumor invasion, spindle cell carcinomas, and lymph node micrometastases.
• LCA staining facilitated differentiation of round cell tumors and assessment of inflammatory responses.
• Chromogranin A staining showed potential for detecting neuroendocrine differentiation.

Conclusions:

• The modified EPOS method is a rapid and versatile tool for intraoperative frozen section diagnosis.
• EPOS requires no special equipment, making it broadly applicable across pathology departments.
• The method, particularly with cytokeratin and LCA antibodies, significantly benefits routine diagnostic work.