Histopathology Artifacts Quiz

 

ANSWER CASE 15

The fine parallel cracking seen throughout this slide is usually caused by tiny vibrations in the knife edge as it passes through hard, brittle blocks. It is most often seen with disposable blades particularly where the blade is standing too high in the holder or is not properly clamped. Excessive hardness and brittleness in blocks can be caused by over-processing, over-heating during infiltration and embedding, or cooling the block too much before cutting. Rough or rapid cutting can also produce this effect. The correct answer is called chatter.




 
© Roy C. Ellis 2004