Microdissection techniques for molecular testing in surgical pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the techniques for microdissection of paraffin-embedded and frozen tissue sections for the use in molecular applications. DATA SOURCES: Original research papers and review papers and the authors' personal experiences. DATA SYNTHESIS: Manual and laser-capture microdissection are described in detail, with specific protocols for sample preparation and instructions for performing the microdissection. A section addressing frequently asked questions is also included.
CONCLUSIONS: Microdissection is a technique that is very useful both in the research setting and for clinical molecular testing in paraffin-embedded tissue samples. The available techniques range from simple and inexpensive (manual microdissection) to complex and expensive (laser-capture microdissection). All of the techniques, however, require the user to be familiar with microscopy and histology.