Microwave histoprocessing versus conventional histoprocessing.

The aim of the study is to compare the histologic quality of the microwave histoprocessing with that of conventional method and to determine its positive impact on turnaround times and reduction of costs of tissue processing. One hundred and eighty-five paired tissue sections from different organs were taken. Each tissue sections were of size of 15 mm x 10 mm x 3 mm and divided into two; one set as experimental group and the other as control group. The tissues in the experimental group were further divided into six groups and processed by vacuum-microwave method according to six protocols from I to VI. Other tissues in the control group were processed by the conventional method and compared. Overall, the quality of microscopic tissue from both the methods was identical. Microwave processing shortened the time of processing without compromising the overall quality of the histologic section and was cost-effective.