FAULTS

Question 1

BRITTLE/ HARD TISSUES

Reason:
1. Prolonged
2. Prolonged
3. Prolonged
4. Prolonged
5.
6.

Remedy

Answer 1

Reason:
1. Prolonged fixation
2. Prolonged dehydration
3. Prolonged clearing
4. Prolonged paraffin infiltration
5. Overheated paraffin oven
6. Drying out of tissue before actual fixation

Remedy
- Tissue may be softened

Question 2

clearing agent turns milky as soon as tissue is placed in it

reason:
remedy:

Answer 2

clearing agent turns milky as soon as tissue is placed in it

reason: incomplete dehydration

remedy: repeat dehydration w/ absolute alcohol, then clear again

Question 3

on trimming, tissue smells of clearing agent

remedy:
-

Answer 3

reason:
- clearing agent not completely removed due to insufficient impregnation
remedy:
- block is trimmed down nearest to the tissue

Question 4

tissue is opaque, section cutting is difficult due to presence of alcohol

remedy:
-

Answer 4

reason:
- insufficient clearing
remedy:
- repeat clearing; if it is embedded already, prolong clearing up to 12hrs, then re embed

Question 5

tissue shrinks away from wax when trimmed

remedy:
-

Answer 5

reason:
- insufficient dehydration, therefore incomplete clearing and impregnation
remedy:
- REPEAT THE WHOLE PROCE

Question 6

tissue is soft when block is trimmed

remedy:
-

Answer 6

reason:
- incomplete fixation
remedy:
- repeat the whole procedure

Question 7

air holes found on tissue during trimming

remedy:
-

Answer 7

reason:
- incomplete impregnation
remedy:
- repeat impregnation

Question 8

on trimming, wax appears crystalline

-
remedy:
-

Answer 8

reason:
- contaminated wax
- block not cooled rapidly enough
remedy:
- re embed in freshly filtered wax

Question 9

paraffin block, after cooling, is moist and crumbles

remedy:
-

Answer 9

reason:
- insufficient paraffin impregnation
remedy:
- repeat paraffin impregnation, then re-embed