Sometimes small, irregular holes may be seen in a histologic section.
Tissues more often affected:
(1) liver
(2) lymphoid rich tissue (tonsils, spleen, lymph node)
(3) brain
Usually the cause is a small divot of tissue being made while sectioning.
Causes:
(1) aggressive trimming of the block
(2) sectioning with dull knife
Prevention:
(1) make sure that the sectioning knife is sharp
(2) carefully face and cut the block using even strokes, keeping the surface moist
If a small hole is seen in the tissue in the block, then carefully trim the block until it is gone, then proceed with taking sections for staining.
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Specialty: Clinical Laboratory
