Tissue that is not properly handled or processed may show cell shrinkage in the histologic sections.
Appearance under the microscope:
(1) Cells appear shrunken.
(2) Nuclei may be pyknotic.
(3) There may artifactual spaces around cells.
Causes:
(1) The tissue dried out prior to being placed in fixative.
(2) The tissue was not adequately fixed prior to processing AND the tissue underwent excessive dehydration during processing.
Ways to avoid:
(1) Do not let tissue dry out before it is placed in fixative.
(2) Adequately fix tissue prior to tissue processing.
(3) Make sure that dehydration during processing is not excessive.
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Specialty: Clinical Laboratory
