PADLS
User Guide
Tests
Pathology
| Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System | |
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PADLS
User Guide
Tests
Pathology
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Submitters may send biopsies to the PADLS laboratory of their choice (with the noted exceptions). Practitioners are encouraged to use containers and mailers specifically intended for formalin fixed specimens. Label containers appropriately, especially if more than one specimen is submitted. Owner address, patient signalment and a brief history are required information. Submission forms are available.
Tissues should be placed in 10% buffered formalin. Ten volumes of formalin are required to adequately fix one volume of tissue. Specimens should consist of the lesion site and surrounding tissue. Tissue should not be thicker than 1 cm. Do not allow fresh or fixed tissue to freeze. Formalin will freeze at extremely low temperatures, damaging the tissue. Adding 1 ml of ethanol to each 9 ml of 10% formalin will prevent such freezing.
Certain tissues require special attention. Intestines are labile; they should be opened and contents removed with a saline or formalin rinse. Bouin's fixative is preferred for endometria. However, these tissues should be transferred to 70% ethanol after 24 and 6 hours respectively. Brains are fixed whole in 10 volumes of formalin. Fresh brains should be hemisectioned if viral or bacterial studies are intended-refrigerating one half and saving the other half in formalin.
| Procedure | Species | Tissue/ Specimen | Container | Shipping* | Turn Around | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biopsy | Domestic livestock, wildlife, zoo animals, avian | Surgical biopsies | Sealed within padded outer mailer | US Postal Service, courier service, or hand deliver | 2 days | Unfixed tissue, tissue requiring special handling (e.g., bone, eyes) and special stains require extra time for completion. |
| Endometrial Biopsy | Equine | Alligator forceps-collected endometrial specimens | Same as biopsy mailers with Bouin's fixative available | US Postal Service, courier service, or hand deliver | 7 days | Reproductive history and rectal findings are required information. An epicrisis (therapeutic recommendations by a theriogenologist) is available only through PADLS-NBC. |
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy testing is available for certain species including cattle, sheep, elk, and deer. Tests include CWD, BSE, and Scrapie. Contact laboratory for collection details.
| Procedure | Species | Tissue/ Specimen | Container | Shipping* | Turn Around | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immunohistochemistry (IHC) (All 3 labs) | As per test availability | Formalin-fixed specimens, paraffin embedded tissue, tissue | Sealed within padded outer mailer | US Postal Service, courier service, or hand deliver | 7-14 days | Call laboratory for test availability and handling instructions. There is no extra charge for IHC if multiple tissues from a necropsy are submitted for histopathologic exam. |
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