The effects of glyoxal fixation on the histological evaluation of breast specimens.

Glyoxal (GL), a non-formalin-containing aldehyde tissue fixative, is advocated as a superior fixative that is environmentally safe and lacks the purported carcinogenic health hazards associated with formalin use. In addition, it is advertised as requiring no antigen retrieval before immunohistochemical staining. We compared GL fixation to standard formalin fixation of breast specimens removed for microcalcifications or breast tumors. Although the hematoxylin and eosin morphology of GL-fixed and formalin-fixed tissues was equivalent, detection of microcalcifications in GL-fixed breast specimens was hampered by loss of basophilia, likely due to increased calcium solubility in glyoxal. Moreover, estrogen receptor detection in GL-fixed specimens was diminished compared to formalin and did require antigen retrieval.