A histologic section that is too thick may be difficult to evaluate accurately.
Appearance under the microscope: The presence of 2 or more layers of cell nuclei when focusing up and down is evidence that the section is too thick.
Target thickness for most section: 3-4 microns
Target thickness for renal biopsies: 2 microns
Target thickness for brain sections: 8 microns
Risk factors for an excessively thick section:
(1) wrong microtome setting
(2) improperly maintained microtome including calibration
(3) paraffin too warm (not cooled sufficiently)
(4) paraffin soft at room temperature (melting point too low)
(5) knife dull
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Specialty: Clinical Laboratory
