Richard

I can respond to the liver tissue question. I would STRONGLY urge that they do not submit.  I tell my students to take the requirements very literally.  Make sure the tissue is AT LEAST 1.0X1.0 cm square in both the slide and block.

Robert A. Brunner, BA, HT(ASCP)
Department Head
Histotechnology Program
Argosy University/ Twin Cities 
5503 Green Valley Drive
Bloomington,  MN  55437
952-252-0290
rbrunner@argosyu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Cartun [mailto:Rcartun@harthosp.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 5:20 PM
To: Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: HTL Exam


I am helping our students with their HTL registry slides and I have two
questions:

1.  A section of liver in the paraffin block measures 1.0 x 0.9 cm;
however, the section on the slide measures 1.0 x 1.0 cm.  Is this O.K.? 
The requirement is for a section of liver 1.0 x 1.0 cm., but is this for
the "gross" section or the "microscopic" section?

2.  Is it O.K. to see extracellular PSA immunoreactivity in the section
of prostate?  After all, PSA is released from prostatic epithelial cells
and should be seen in extracellular locations (this is why we can
measure it in the serum); however, it does give the appearance of
non-specific staining.

I appreciate your comments on these two issues.  Thanks!

Richard Cartun