Impairment of Autopsy Histology by Organ Washinga Myth

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Histological sections of post-mortem tissues are often poorly preserved and many pathologists feel that washing tissues during the autopsy may contribute to this. This proposition was tested by immersing blocks of fresh tissue in tap water for 10 minutes and assessing the histological preservation of subsequent tissue sections. Blocks of liver were also kept in tap water for periods of up to 34 hours and the amount of tissue damage was assessed using routine histology. All slides were coded and interpreted by an observer who had not previously seen the tissues. Photographs of the various tissues stained with a variety of techniques were also offered to a group of pathologists, at a Pathological Society meeting, who also attempted to classify them as ‘washed’ or ‘unwashed’. The results were statistically random and showed that washing tissues in the manner described had no deleterious effect on subsequent histological preparations. We conclude that there is no reason to avoid washing tissues during the routine autopsy.