Review Article
Handling of Radical Prostatectomy Specimens: Total Embedding with Large-Format Histology
Table 1
Comparison between Dr. Vainer et al.’s study [
8] and Ancona experience [
3].
| Features | Dr. Vainer et al.’s study | Ancona experience |
| Prostate weight and size (and volume) | Yes (not mentioned) | Yes (yes) | Fixation enhancement | Separating the two lobes | Formalin injection | Inking of the surface | Two colours, anterior, and posterior halves | One colour; orientation with a cut on the right | Presectioning fixation (time) | Acid formic (20 h) and 4 buffered formalin (24 h) | 4 buffered formalin (24 h) | Sectioning interval | Approximately 3 mm (Apex and base: 5–10 mm) | 3 mm (Apex and base: 3 mm) | Subdivision of the slices of the prostate body | Yes, to fit standard cassettes | No (whole mounts) | Seminal vesicles | As a minimum the apex and a cross-section | Sandwich method (all included) | Postsectioning fixation (time) | 4 buffered formalin (not mentioned) | 4 buffered formalin (24 h) | No. of cassettes/total slides (% examined) | 18–76 (70) | 9–14 (100) | Processing | Not mentioned | As for regular size cassettes | Slide size (section thickness) | 7.5 cm by 2.5 cm (4 m) | 7.5 cm by 5.0 cm (5 m) | Slide staining procedure | Not mentioned | Manual |
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