Cassetting: Sponge versus Wrapping

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Cassetting: Sponge versus Wrapping

Liver biopsies are delicate and subject to grossing artifacts. Using sponges to secure biopsy tissue in a tissue cassette has been proven to cause compression artifacts in liver biopsies, as demonstrated in the top image. Using lens paper or commercial biopsy wraps to secure liver biopsy tissues in tissue cassettes is recommended. This will provide favorable results, preserving tissue architecture for diagnosis, as shown in the lower image.

Liver biopsy (Masson's trichrome) demonstrating compression artifact caused by
the use of sponges for tissue cassetting.
A liver biopsy stained by Masson's Trichrome demonstrating normal tissue
architecture and favorable tissue cassetting.