Should I put this specimen in formalin?
Formalin is the routine fixing agent for pathology specimens, and the vast majority of specimens should be placed in formalin as soon as possible. There are several exceptions, however.
We have written an online specimen guide for your reference, detailing the specifics of submission and labeling for multiple different types of specimens. Please see that guide for more details, but for quick reference, some specimens that should NOT always be placed immediately in formalin are:
- Specimens for frozen section analysis
- Lymph nodes
- Specimens for chromosome analysis
- Muscle, nerve, and renal biopsies
- Specimens for flow cytometry analysis
For cases that will require frozen section analysis, it is essential that you contact us immediately! In fact, it is probably a good idea for you to contact us if you have any of these specimen types listed here. Please call our main number at (970) 461-6091.