Specimen Collection
Histopathology
Routine Histopathology
1) Specimens that are submitted for routine histopathologic examination should be promptly placed in 10% neutral buffered formalin by the submitting physician. Bone marrow biopsies should be placed in Hartman’s solution, which is provided by our facility.
2) The specimen container should be of adequate size to contain the tissue sample and hold enough fixative to entirely surround the specimen (for adequate fixation the optimal ratio of the fixative volume should be at least 15-20 times greater than the tissue volume). Please contact the laboratory for the appropriate size containers available to suit your needs.
3) The specimen container should be labeled with the patient’s name, anatomic site where the specimen came from and collection date. The specimen container should then be placed in a plastic biohazard bag. A pathology requisition provided by WPA should accompany the specimen. The following information should be included on the requisition forms:
Social Security number
Submitting physician
Date of birth
Date the specimen was collected
Billing information
Any special instructions for reporting results and clinical information including history and clinical diagnosis