ALCOHOL AND ANHYDROUS COPPER SULPHATE WITH ALCOHOL FOR DEHYDRATION OF ORAL TISSUE SPECIMENS - A COMPARATIVE PILOT STUDY

Background: The processing of human tissue for pathologic diagnosis begins with fixation, followed by dehydration with graded concentration of alcohol, clearing, infiltration and embedding. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of anhydrous copper sulphate with alcohol as a dehydrating agent for tissue processing. Materials and methods: 25 formalin fixed tissues were used for this study. Each tissue sample was cut into two halves. One half was kept for routine tissue processing using alcohol as dehydrant and the other with alcohol and anhydrous copper sulphate. After dehydration, clearing with xylene and infiltration and embedding with paraffin wax was done. Sections were stained with H & E stain and assessed for histomorphological criteria. The scores were statistically analysed using Mann Whitney U test. Results: Statistically significant correlation was found between alcohol and anhydrous copper sulphate with alcohol for nuclear (p value=0.002) and cytoplasmic staining (p value = 0.012). Sections folds were seen in tissue samples dehydrated with anhydrous copper sulphate. Conclusion: Anhydrous copper sulphate reduced the dehydration time and increased the shelf life of alcohol. Clinical significance: Anhydrous copper sulphate reduces the tissue processing time and also increases the shelf life of alcohol thereby acts as a tool for quality assurance in pathology.