PHASE-CONTRAST MICROSCOPY FOR IDENTIFYING EPIDERMAL MARGINS IN UNSTAINED CRYOSECTIONS FOR MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY

BACKGROUND. Mohs fresh tissue micrographic surgery has been accepted a s the most reliable therapeutic modality for the eradication of recurr ent cutaneous malignancies or those skin cancers that are difficult to treat otherwise. OBJECTIVE. We have developed a method to ascertain t he presence of the epidermis and other edges in the tissue sections be fore staining the cryosections and microscopically searching them for cancer cells. METHODS. Our method for screening the cryosections for t he epidermis can be done quickly and easily using relatively inexpensi ve phase contrast optics. RESULTS. Use of this method allows easy visu alization of freshly cut cryosections, especially the presence of the epidermis and other edges of the tissue, in just a matter of seconds i nstead of a half hour to stain and recut the sections. CONCLUSIONS. Ph ase contrast microscopy and/or dark field illumination are instrumenta l in screening unstained cryosections for the presence of the tissue b orders, especially the epidermis, before they are stained with hematox ylin and eosin. This method saves a great deal of time and effort both for the surgeon and the patient.