A Comparison of Four Mohs Tissue Preparation Methods Using Porcine Skin

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Mohs surgery relies on high-quality, rapid tissue preparation and processing. This study evaluated four currently performed tissue preparation and processing methods for speed of processing and depth of cut into the tissue block to achieve a complete high-quality section. METHODS The following four methods were tested:cryoEMBEDDER, float, heat sink, and slide. Standardized specimens of porcine skin were used to ensure uniformity. We measured the time required for a technician to flatten, embed, and cut to the first complete section of each specimen. Additionally, we measured the depth in microns required to cut into an embedded specimen to achieve a complete section. RESULTS There were advantages and disadvantages of each method, and our findings suggest that the heat sink and float methods are more time efficient but that the slide andcryoEMBEDDER methods require less cutting into the specimen to obtain a complete section. The cryoEMBEDDER device used in this study was loaned by cryoEMBEDDER (Salt Lake City, Utah).