RAPID MICROWAVE-STIMULATED FIXATION OF ENTIRE PROSTATECTOMY SPECIMENS

Conventional fixation of large solid surgical specimens is a slow proc ess. Consequently, autolytic damage to tissues may occur if the fixati ve does not reach the central part of the specimen in time. However, a s there is also a time relationship between formalin fixation and anti gen masking, fixation for too long can also be detrimental. In seeking the optimum balance for fixation, microwave irradiation might be of a ssistance. This study set out to evaluate methods for fixing entire pr ostate glands within a brief period of time, using microwave-stimulate d formalin fixation, The results show that entire prostates can be opt imally fixed if formalin is present throughout the tissue as the tempe rature is increased by microwave irradiation. This is achieved by inje cting the fixative into the prostate at multiple sites immediately fol lowing prostatectomy. The technique described ensures standardization of a critical step during tissue processing, leading to uniform micros copic results with both routine and immunohistochemical stains. It is a simple, rapid method, suitable for routine diagnostic use. Using thi s modified approach, DNA of much larger sizes can be extracted from pa raffin-embedded material, which could expand the possibilities for mol ecular analysis. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.