Electron Microscopy Specimens Requirements

General Electron Microscopy Requirements

All Children’s Hospital’s Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine accepts surgical specimens including muscle biopsies, nerve biopsies, renal biopsies, and ciliary biopsies for processing and interpretation/diagnosis. 

The All Children’s Hospital Histology department will accept biopsies, Monday through Thursday between 7:00 am and 4:00 p.m. and until 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. Notify the Histology Laboratory (phone:727.767-3058) 24 hours or more in advance, and on the day of the biopsy, before the specimen is sent.

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Specimen Shipping Procedures

1. For Ciliary Studies, Muscle and Nerve Biopsies, and Renal Biopsies please follow the appropriate requirements (listed below). 
2. The sample must be prepared for shipping as soon as possible.
3. Place the specimen in a labeled plastic vial with a tight fitting lid and then in an airtight plastic zip-loc bag.
4. A copy of the appropriate requisition form with patient history in a separate plastic bag must be included with the specimen package.  

Laboratory Hours:

Specimens are received in the Histology Laboratory, Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and until 12:00 p.m. on Friday.

IMPORTANT!
>>> Protect specimens from temperature extremes <<<
Ship specimens promptly, preferably by courier, to:

All Children’s Hospital
Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,
Outpatient Care Center - Fourth Floor
Attn. Histology Laboratory
601 5th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 767-3058

Specimen Specific Instructions

CILIARY DISKINESIA (Ciliary Dyskinesia)

• Inform the surgeon that biopsies sufficient for ultrastructural studies are to be obtained.
• Adenoid tissue biopsies (surface area of 05. x 0.5 cm) are generally superior to nasal mucosa and often also to bronchoscopically obtained respiratory mucosa, in yielding sufficient numbers of ciliated epithelial cells suitable for electron microscopy.
• Brushings may also be submitted in the place of biopsies.
• Immerse brush immediately after sampling into 2.5% glutaraldehyde fixative solution (Electron Microscopy Sciences, Inc. Catalog #15949).
• Refer to TEM Specimen Shipping procedure.

MUSCLE AND NERVE BIOPSIES

• Notify the Histology Laboratory (727-767-3058) 24 hours or more in advance and on the day of the biopsy before the specimen is shipped.
• The surgeon is instructed that muscle from a suitable site but preferably quadriceps or deltoid muscles, measuring no more than 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.0 cm between plastic and/or metal biopsy clamps and/or nerve biopsy (usually sural) measuring no more than 2 cm long (see below) be obtained atraumatically, avoiding cautery, pinching, or drying the specimen.
• The muscle and/or nerve biopsy samples must be prepared for transport promptly. The sample(s) must be sent in the fresh state as soon after removal as possible. The specimen must be wrapped gently in saline-moist gauze. If muscle is received in clamps, please enfold the entire specimen in saline-moist gauze.
• Place the gauze in a labeled plastic vial with a tight fitting lid, and then in an airtight zip-loc bag. Place this bag in a Styrofoam container filled with ice (not dry ice). This will be triaged at the Histology Laboratory for EM sampling, frozen and paraffin sections, and nerve teasing preparations and metabolic studies if required.
• A copy of the Anatomic Pathology Requisition for Muscle / Nerve Biopsy Form ( PDF) with patient history completed, must be placed in a separate labeled plastic bag and included with the shipped specimen.
• Seal Styrofoam container and ship promptly via courier to the address listed in the TEM Specimen Shipping procedure.

REMINDER: Please call the laboratory so we may know when to expect the biopsy, and that it may receive the prompt attention it deserves.

RENAL BIOPSIES

• Notify the Histology Laboratory (727-767-3058) 24 hours or more in advance and on the day of the biopsy before the specimen is shipped.
• If the biopsy is performed on the main campus of All Children’s Hospital, then a pathologist will attend the procedure. Otherwise the surgeon must ensure that renal cores include cortex & medulla, or wedges are to be obtained and protected from air-drying.
• The renal biopsy samples must be prepared for shipping promptly.
• Three samples including renal cortex must be obtained:
1. The largest piece immersed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for routine light microscopy,
2. A small piece immersed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde fixative solution (Electron Microscopy Sciences, Inc. Catalog #15949) for electron microscopy, and
3. A piece placed in Michel’s fixative (Polyscientific Corp. catalog #52168) for immunofluorescent staining.
• A copy of the Anatomic Pathology Requisition for Renal Biopsy ( PDF) with patient history or nephrologist’s notes must be placed in a separate labeled plastic bag and included with the shipped specimen.
• Ship promptly, preferably via courier to the address listed in the TEM Specimen Shipping procedure.

REMINDER: Please call the laboratory so we may know when to expect the biopsy, and that it may receive the prompt attention it deserves.