How should surgical specimens be preserved for microscopic examination?

For microscopic examination, surgical specimens need to be preserved in a manner that prevents tissue degradation and maintains cellular morphology. The correct method involves placing the specimens in formaldehyde solution. Formaldehyde is a fixative that effectively stabilizes proteins in the tissues, which is crucial for preserving the structural integrity of the cells. This preservation is essential for accurate histopathological evaluation under a microscope, allowing pathologists to assess for disease processes, including cancer.

While other preservation methods exist, they may not provide the same level of tissue integrity that formaldehyde does. For instance, saline solution can cause tissues to swell and may not preserve cellular details. Freezing in liquid nitrogen is typically reserved for certain specialized techniques, such as when fresh-frozen sections are needed for rapid diagnosis, but it may not adequately preserve specimens for routine histology. Packing in ice is also not a standard method for preserving surgical specimens for microscopic examination as it does not prevent cellular breakdown effectively. Thus, formaldehyde is the preferred choice for routine fixation of surgical samples in preparation for histological studies.