The technical staff of the laboratory prepares the patient’s pathology specimen for review by a pathologist. The technical process may include any or all of the following steps:
- inspect and describe the intact specimen (gross examination) for physical characteristics
- proper position of the specimen in the paraffin block
- fixation of the specimen in alcohol or formaldehyde to preserve the tissue
- decalcify to make hard bone and/or teeth soft enough to section
- dehydrate and infiltrate the specimen with paraffin (wax) to prevent cellular alteration
- embed the specimen into a small, paraffin block to keep the specimen secure
- cut the block into thin sections
- place the sections onto glass microscope slides
- stain the slides for professional review and interpretation
- prepare special stains and immunohistochemical studies
Technical and Professional services are billed separately. Different providers perform these two services.