Honorable Richmond-San,

As you've probable told by now, at least 1000 times: FFPE- Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embeded.  My doc claims he isn't looking for Wilson's. He only wants a Copper Stain!

Sayonara

Noreen

>>> <RSRICHMOND@aol.com> 11/26/01 05:40PM >>>
Noreen Gilman asks:

>>I need to get a copper stain on ffpe tissue. Does anyone know what
reference lab does this? This is a request from the clinician and we feel
obligated to fulfill his request.<<

What's "ffpe tissue"? - Be careful of abbreviations on Histonet - they
frequently baffle people! Folks on Histonet are from all over the world, and
do many different kinds of histology. (I did catch "TIA" - not "Transient
Ischemic Attack" I suppose!)

If this is liver tissue from a patient being worked up for Wilson's disease
or another disorder of copper metabolism, then you need to get a quantitative
copper determination done on the paraffin block, not a stain. The only
reference lab I know of that offers this test is Mayo Medical Laboratories.
They offer tests for tissue levels of several metals, mostly commonly iron,
also aluminum.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN